Two Men Jailed for Rape in Dungannon Underground Car Park as Judge Praises Victim's Bravery

Two men who raped a young woman in an underground car park in County Tyrone have each been handed a six-year sentence, with a judge describing the attack as a "prolonged and humiliating ordeal" carried out with a chilling degree of planning.

Luis Dos Martins Mariano, 20, of Sloan Street, and Alcino Soares, 21, of Braeside, both in Dungannon, had earlier admitted raping the woman, who was 19 when the assault took place on 10 September 2023. Both defendants were 17 at the time of the offence. They were sentenced at Downpatrick Crown Court on Thursday, appearing by video link from Hydebank prison.

Under the terms imposed by Judge Richard Green, the men will serve three years in custody and the remaining three years on licence in the community. Both have also been placed on the sex offenders register for life and disqualified from working with children and young adults.

The court heard that some of the attack was captured on CCTV, footage the judge said "makes for disturbing viewing." He told the court the woman had been taken to the car park late at night and that the circumstances demonstrated "a significant degree of planning and foresight" on the part of the two men.

Judge Green said it should have been obvious to both defendants that the victim was intoxicated and therefore less able to recognise the danger she faced. He stated she was not capable of resisting what he called a "cowardly attack" and was unable to call for help. The judge praised the woman's "bravery" in coming forward, describing her as a "survivor" and her victim impact statement as both "eloquent and moving."

The court previously heard that the woman had been on a night out in Dungannon on 9 September 2023. She described being outside a fast food shop and being "quite drunk" when she was approached by two males who appeared to be East Timorese. Her next recollection was of the two men walking on either side of her down an alleyway that led into the car park. She told the court she had difficulty standing and could not speak properly.

According to the prosecution's account, one of the men began to rape her while the other kept watch and "stood laughing." The woman also recalled being moved to a corner of the car park, where she was raped a second time. The men eventually left her, and she was later able to get up and leave the car park on her own. Prosecutors said CCTV recorded the events and was "consistent with the defendants' pleas," and that it was clear the victim was "incapacitated and in a vulnerable state."

Because a Tetum interpreter stood beside the two defendants to translate the proceedings during an earlier sentencing hearing at Dungannon Crown Court on 3 September, the case drew attention to the language barriers involved. Both men moved to Northern Ireland from East Timor when they were younger, and their legal representatives argued that communication difficulties were relevant to their culpability.

The procedural history of the case spanned more than two years. In March 2025, the pair appeared together at Dungannon Crown Court, where Mariano admitted rape but Soares pleaded not guilty. A series of adjournments followed, and shortly before Soares was due to stand trial in October 2025, he changed his plea and admitted rape. The delay and the time both men had already spent in custody were among the factors the judge said he weighed when deciding the sentence.

Sentencing was further informed by expert reports presented by the defence. A barrister for Mariano said an assessment had identified a "moderate learning disability" and argued that his client's age, vulnerability and cognitive ability were central considerations. The barrister added that there was no challenge to the victim's integrity or strength and accepted that she "clearly did not consent." Mariano, the court was told, had apologised and expressed "shame and remorse."

Soares' defence counsel said his client was fluent in neither Tetum nor English and that an expert report found this "language deficit" had affected his grasp of societal norms and morals. The barrister said Soares also apologised and had "accepted his wrongdoing and his remorse." Judge Green said he took into account the men's young age at the time of the offending, their learning difficulties, the guilty pleas, the delays in the case and time already served in prison.

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland welcomed the outcome. Ch Insp Steph Finlay described the incident as "an appalling and deeply distressing attack on a young woman who should have been able to make her way home safely after meeting with friends." She said the actions of the two men were "predatory, degrading and showed a complete disregard for their victim," and paid tribute to what she called the "tremendous courage" the woman had shown throughout an extremely difficult and traumatic process. The officer added that the sentences "hold both men accountable for their actions."

The case is one of a number in recent years in which CCTV evidence has played a decisive role in securing convictions for sexual offences committed in public or semi-public spaces. Investigators frequently point to such footage as powerful corroboration when a victim's memory is fragmented by intoxication or trauma, and prosecutors say it can be used to demonstrate the sequence of events even when defendants dispute accounts.

Support organisations note that survivors of sexual violence often face significant barriers to reporting, including fear of not being believed, concerns about the court process and the distress of giving evidence. The judge's public recognition of the woman in this case is significant because it acknowledges the personal toll of pursuing a prosecution, a process that stretched across multiple hearings and several years.

Both convicted men remain subject to the lifelong notification requirements that accompany placement on the sex offenders register, and their disqualification from working with children and young adults will restrict their access to certain roles and volunteering positions. The custodial portion of their sentence will be followed by a period on licence, during which they will be subject to supervision and can be recalled to prison if they breach its conditions.