Louth criminal who raped “barely conscious” teen refused bail ahead of appeal

A 27-year-old criminal who raped an intoxicated and "barely conscious" 17-year-old girl has been refused bail ahead of his conviction appeal hearing.

Jibola Moses Akanni of St Laurence Drive, Drogheda, Co Louth, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault at an apartment in Dublin city centre, on February 15, 2018. He was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison by Mr Justice David Keane last June.

Akanni had argued that he should be granted bail ahead of his conviction appeal hearing in June because his grounds are “discrete and straightforward” and point to a strong chance of success.

Refusing the 27-year-old’s application for bail at the Court of Appeal last Friday, Ms Justice Niamh Hyland said the issues raised cannot be considered “clear cut”.

She said the matters are wide ranging and include questions regarding the complainant’s credibility, the identification of the assailant and failure to disclose counselling notes and reference to additional evidence.

She noted the points raised cannot be considered discrete grounds with a strong chance of success warranting bail.

Akanni’s sentencing hearing was told that the victim had travelled to Dublin to attend a concert but was refused entry because she was underage.

Outside the venue, she ran into a man she had met before. He invited the teenager and her two friends to the apartment where he was staying, which was located next door to the venue. Here, she met Akanni and the group listened to music and drank.

When she again tried and failed to get into the concert, she told her friends to go in without her and said she would wait in the apartment.

Whilst there, Akanni repeatedly held a bottle of alcohol to her lips despite the teenager telling him she was lightheaded and wanted to go to sleep.

He turned off the lights in the bedroom and asked the victim what she had done sexually and whether she had sex with her boyfriend. The victim replied “no” and told him she was “only 17”.

She was fully dressed but unable to keep her eyes open and was not able to speak.

Akanni then put his penis in her mouth. He removed her trousers and underwear and put his mouth on her genital area.

A short time later, she felt pressure and pain in her vagina.

The girl’s next memory was of being taken to the Emergency Room in an ambulance by her friends.

In passing sentence, Mr Justice Keane said the aggravating factors in this case were the extended nature of the ordeal while the injured party was barely conscious, the disparity in the age of both parties and that she was an intoxicated and vulnerable person at the time.

Akanni has 28 previous convictions from both Ireland and the UK relating to road traffic matters, as well as convictions for theft, public order and handling stolen property.