Full Breakdown
Two East Timorese Men Sentenced for 2023 Dungannon Car-Park Rape
By Drooid · · How we work
Offence Overview
On 10 September 2023 a 19-year-old woman was assaulted in an underground car park in Dungannon, County Tyrone. The victim, who had been drinking heavily after a night out on 9 September 2023, was approached by two men who appeared to be of East Timorese origin. Luis Dos Martins Mariano, 20, of Sloan Street, and Alcino Soares, 21, of Braeside—both having moved to Northern Ireland from East Timor as children—took the woman to the car park, where they raped her in succession. CCTV captured part of the attack; body-worn video later linked Soares to the scene, and DNA matched his on the victim’s clothing.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Both defendants entered guilty pleas after initially pleading not guilty. At Downpatrick Crown Court, Judge Richard Greene sentenced each to six years’ imprisonment, to be served equally in custody and on licence. The judge classified the pair as “medium risk” of reoffending, ordered lifelong registration on the Sex Offenders Register, and imposed ten-year Sexual Offences Prevention Orders. Soares turned 18 the week after the offence; the court noted the coordinated nature of the attack as an aggravating factor.
Judicial Observations
He commended the victim’s “elegant, measured and moving” impact statement and described the assault as a “prolonged, humiliating ordeal” that demonstrated a “sheer lack of insight with disregard for the victim.” The judge emphasized that the defendants’ youth was considered but did not mitigate the seriousness of the crime.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Victim Impact Statement – although I say she is a survivor – is an elegant, measured and moving account. Her bravery in coming forward is to be commended.” — Judge Green
- “Sheer lack of insight with disregard for the victim.” — Judge Greene
- “This was a prolonged, humiliating ordeal. They removed her from her friends leaving her completely vulnerable. It was a cowardly attack, and I have no doubt they believed she would have been unable to give an account to police. They knew the carpark would be deserted which shows an element of planning. I do not intend to differentiate between either defendant.” — Richard Greene, judge