Cork trio 'had prior agreement' to rape woman in van with mattress, court told

on 25/10/2012 16:41:08

Three men have gone on trial today accused of raping and molesting a woman they picked up in a van in Co Cork.

The prosecution claims it will prove that the men had made a "prior agreement to participate in an unlawful act'' and that the accused were driving around with a mattress in the back of the van at 3am on September 13, 2009.

All three men have been charges with rape and sex assault. Two of the accused are also charged with attempted rape. They deny all charges.

There is one further charge of stealing the woman's car, which one of the three has admitted.

Wiping back tears through much of her evidence, the woman was shown the torn top and underwear she wore on the night of the alleged rapes.

Earlier that evening she had gone on a mystery bus tour with friends but got separated from the group after a night drinking in a pub in Glanmire.

The jury saw CCTV footage which showed her unsteady on her feet outside a nearby school.

She said that her next memory was lying on a mattress in the back of a van where she claims her clothes were pulled from her and she was orally raped and sexually assaulted.

She says there were three men and a woman, who egged the men on and molested her.

They then gave her a lift home which she described to gardaí as a "pact with the devil".

The accused are now aged 19 and 20 but were 15, 16 and 18 at the time.