Three young men from Dublin accused of raping woman in Belfast hotel room

The trio, all from Dublin, are alleged to have recorded the incident on mobile phones, a court heard.

Appearing at Craigavon Crown Court by videolink, 20-year-old Conor Lawlor entered not guilty pleas to each of the three charges against him.

Lawlor, of Bannow Road is accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual assault by penetration arising from an incident at the Balmoral Hotel on April 2, last year.

His two co-accused Jake O’Sullivan (18), from Barnamore Grove and Cameron Kynes (18), from St Jarlath Road, have already been arraigned to deny three similar charges.

At a previous hearing, Detective Constable McAnulty outlined how the trio were arrested shortly after the night porter at the Balmoral Hotel made a 999 call just after 3am on April 2 when the complainant alleged she had been raped.

He said that according to the complainant, she had met the defendants in a bar in Belfast and “liked one of them” so went back to his hotel but then she “passed out” and awoke to find them “pulling her dress off.”

The court also heard allegations the defendants “had been recording the incident on mobile phones” with police in possession of some of that footage.

He told the court the woman’s alleged ordeal came to an end when she was able to run out of the room and down to reception to alert the night porter.

All three were arrested and interviewed but refused to answer police questions.

In court today, prosecuting counsel Nicola Auret confirmed that arrangements had been made for senior defence barristers to have a “controlled viewing” of the recorded footage ahead of the trial which Judge Patrick Lynch KC scheduled to start on May 2.