Two Men Jailed for Raping Woman in Dungannon Underground Car Park

Two men who admitted to raping a young woman in an underground car park in County Tyrone have been jailed.

Luis Dos Martins Mariano, 20, of Sloan Street, and Alcino Soares, 21, of Braeside, both in Dungannon, had previously entered guilty pleas to the charge of rape. The pair were sentenced at Downpatrick Crown Court on Thursday.

Both men moved to Northern Ireland from East Timor when they were younger and appeared in court via video link from Hydebank prison.

The attack occurred on 10 September 2023, when both defendants were 17 years old. The victim was 19 at the time. Portions of the assault were captured on CCTV cameras within the car park.

The judge handed each man a six-year sentence, split so that three years will be served in custody and the remaining three years on licence in the community.

Judge Richard Green described the CCTV footage of the incident as "disturbing viewing." He praised the victim's courage in coming forward and referred to her as a "survivor," noting that her impact statement was both "eloquent and moving."

The judge characterised the attack as a "prolonged and humiliating ordeal," during which Soares and Mariano took turns raping the woman. He stated that it should have been clear to both men that she was intoxicated and therefore less able to recognise the danger she faced. He added that she was incapable of resisting what he called a "cowardly attack" and was unable to call for help.

Judge Green also remarked that taking the victim to a car park at such a late hour demonstrated a "significant degree of planning and foresight."

In determining the sentence, the judge said he considered several mitigating factors, including the defendants' young age at the time of the offence, their learning difficulties, their guilty pleas, delays in the case, and time already spent in custody.

During an earlier sentencing hearing last month at Dungannon Crown Court, the prosecution detailed the victim's account of the night. A Tetum interpreter stood beside the defendants to translate the proceedings.

The court heard that the victim had been on a night out in Dungannon on 9 September 2023. She described being outside a fast food shop and feeling "quite drunk." She said two males who appeared to be East Timorese approached her. Her next memory was of both men walking on either side of her down an alleyway that led into the car park. She recalled having difficulty standing and being unable to speak properly.

The prosecution said the victim remembered one of the males beginning to rape her while the other kept watch and "stood laughing." She also recalled being taken to a corner of the car park where she was raped a second time. The men eventually left her, and she managed to get up and leave the car park.

CCTV footage from the car park recorded the events and was described by the prosecution as being "consistent with the defendants' pleas." The prosecution stated it was clear the victim was "incapacitated and in a vulnerable state." Both men were subsequently arrested.

The court heard that in March 2025, the pair appeared together at Dungannon Crown Court, where Mariano admitted rape but Soares pleaded not guilty. Numerous adjournments followed, and just before Soares was due to stand trial in October 2025, he pleaded guilty to rape.

At a hearing on 3 September 2026, a defence barrister for Mariano said his client was "not disputing the harm caused by this case." The barrister noted that an expert report had found Mariano had a "moderate learning disability." He said the issues for his client were "age, vulnerability and cognitive ability." The defence said there was no challenge to the victim's integrity and strength, and that she "clearly did not consent." Mariano's barrister said his client had apologised and expressed "shame and remorse."

Soares' defence barrister told the court his client was not fluent in either Tetum or English. An expert report found that this "language deficit" had created difficulties and affected his "understanding of societal norms and morals." The barrister said Soares apologised and had "accepted his wrongdoing and his remorse."

Both men were ordered to remain on the sex offenders register for life. They were also disqualified from working with children and young adults.

Police Service of Northern Ireland 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."

Finlay paid tribute to the "tremendous courage" the woman had shown throughout what she called an "extremely difficult and traumatic process." She said the sentences "hold both men accountable for their actions."

The case has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities faced by young women on nights out, particularly when alcohol impairs their ability to recognise danger or seek help. The judge's comments about planning and foresight underscored the seriousness with which the court viewed the defendants' conduct.

The sentencing also highlighted how the justice system handles cases involving defendants with cognitive and language difficulties, balancing those factors against the severity of the crime and the harm caused to the victim.

For the victim, the conclusion of the legal process brings a measure of accountability, though the impact of the ordeal is likely to endure. The court's recognition of her bravery reflects the importance of victims coming forward, even in deeply traumatic circumstances.