DUBLIN, Ireland: Lawyers for three men who "targeted" a vulnerable teenager and lured her into a car before driving her to Dollymount Strand, where they gang raped her, have argued that they should have received shorter sentences because of their youth at the time.

Three men — Dion Genockey, Daryl Rooney, and Troy Ryan — were all 17 when they took an 18-year-old woman, who had grown up in care, to a remote part of Dollymount Strand in Dublin. They drove her to the end of a wooden bridge, where they raped her one after another. They then left her alone in a dark and isolated place about three-quarters of a kilometer from the main road.

The attack happened on January 5, 2016, at Bull Island in Dollymount, Dublin. The three men, now aged between 27 and 28 and living in Dublin city center, were convicted of rape after a second trial at the Central Criminal Court in March 2022. The first trial in 2020 ended without a verdict because the jury could not agree.

Genockey was sentenced to nine years in prison, Ryan to nine and a half years, and Rooney to ten years. The court was told that none of the men accepted the jury's decision and all continue to claim they are innocent.

At an appeal hearing on May 8, Genockey's lawyer, Thomas O'Malley, argued that the original sentence set by the trial judge — a starting point of 15 years before reductions — was too high. He said the reduction given was insufficient, given his client's young age at the time, good work record, supportive family, and lack of prior criminal history.

He accepted that there were serious factors in the case, including that it was a gang rape and that the victim was left alone at the scene. However, he argued that in his client's case, there was no additional violence or degrading treatment beyond the rape itself. He suggested that a starting sentence of 12 to 13 years would have been more appropriate.

O'Malley also said the judge reduced the sentence by one-third after considering these factors, but argued that a larger reduction could have been given. He told the court that recent research shows that people under 18 are less responsible for their actions than adults because they are less able to think through the consequences fully and are more easily influenced by others.

Judge Nuala Butler questioned this argument. She said there was no clear evidence that Genockey was immature, pointing out that he had chosen to leave school early, had started a successful business, and had a supportive family. She asked what proof there was of his immaturity beyond his age.

O'Malley replied that people who commit crimes under the age of 18 but are sentenced as adults are generally entitled to some reduction in their sentence. He also said that his client's work ethic, family background, and role as a parent of a young child should all count in his favor, and questioned whether enough weight had been given to these factors.

Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing, representing Rooney, said he agreed with these arguments. He also argued that the trial judge was wrong not to consider suspending part of his client's sentence.

Another lawyer said that his client's refusal to accept guilt makes it more difficult to argue for rehabilitation or a suspended sentence. However, he reminded the court that his client was still under 18 — aged 17 years and 7 months — at the time of the offense.

The court heard again that the men had "targeted" the victim and left her alone at around 10 pm in bleak midwinter conditions in a dark, isolated place far from the main road.

Justice Patrick McCarthy, sitting with Justices Nuala Butler and Tara Burns, said the court would reserve judgment and deliver its decision on the appeal at a later date.