Courts

Man jailed for raping acquaintance in car after offering to drop her home

Matthew Fadeyi (34) became flirtatious during trip and attacked woman who repeatedly said she did not want to have sex

The Central Criminal Court heard the woman found the experience of giving evidence during the two trials traumatic and that she has since moved away and did not wish to make a victim impact statement. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh
Eimear Dodd
Mon Jul 29 2024 - 13:27

A man who raped a young woman after dropping her home almost six years ago has been jailed for 5½ years.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Matthew Fadeyi (34) raped the woman, who was an acquaintance and significantly younger than him, in August 2018.

Fadeyi, of Birch Drive, Johnstown Wood, Navan, Co Meath, was convicted of one count of rape following a retrial in May after a jury was unable to reach a verdict following the first trial in 2021.

Imposing sentence on Monday, Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo said the victim was “relatively young and inexperienced” and that Fadeyi did not use a condom, adding to her distress.

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While all cases of rape involve the restriction of liberty, the judge said the woman was especially restricted as she was confined to the back of the car during the attack.

Mr Justice Naidoo noted that Fadeyi is now married with children as he handed down a sentence of 6½ years and suspended the final year on a number of conditions.

Ronan Kennedy SC, prosecuting, previously told the court that Fadeyi and the then 20-year-old victim were acquaintances. Fayedi offered to drop the woman the night in question and became flirtatious during the drive and asked the woman personal questions. He parked the car near her home and the woman thanked him. He then kissed her, but she did not reciprocate, saying her parents were waiting for her at home.

When he asked her if she wanted to get into the back seat, she repeated that her parents were waiting for her and she did not want to have sex. Fadeyi got out of the car, opened the passenger door and again asked the woman to get into the back seat. They got into the back of the car and the woman again told him she did not want to have sex. He then unbuckled his trousers and started to touch his penis before touching the woman’s breasts.

The woman lay down on the back seat and told Fadeyi again that she did not want to have sex. She performed oral sex on him in an attempt to dissuade him from having penetrative sex. However, Fadeyi then raped her.

After the rape, the woman said she felt ashamed, embarrassed and angry and called a friend, who gave evidence during the trial that the victim was crying during their conversation. The woman went to a local garda station a few days later but did not make a statement as no female garda was available. She made a formal complaint to gardaí in January 2019. Fadeyi was interviewed voluntarily and said the sexual encounter was consensual and instigated by the woman.

The court heard that the woman found the experience of giving evidence during the two trials traumatic and that she has since moved away and did not wish to make a victim impact statement.

An investigating garda agreed with Kathleen Leader SC, defending, that the man’s previous conviction for a road traffic matter postdates this incident. Ms Leader outlined to the court that her client is married and has two young children. He has been in custody since conviction and is finding it difficult to be separated from his family, who are missing his support.½