A man who was jailed for violently raping a young Donegal woman at a comic book convention is reportedly set to appeal the severity of his sentence.
Keith Hearne (29) from Allenton Drive, Tallaght was jailed for 12 years for rape, oral rape and false imprisonment of Ms Dominique Meehan from Letterkenny, who was 23 years old at the time.
Ms Meehan was attacked and threatened by Hearne while she was volunteering at a gaming convention in a Dublin hotel in 2015. He cornered her in a meeting room, bound her hands and threatened her with a knife if she wasn’t quiet.
The Irish Independent reports today that Hearne will appeal the length of the sentence handed down to him in the Court of Appeal on 12th April. Ms Meehan has been informed.
Ms Meehan waived her right to anonymity during the legal proceedings after the rape.
She has spoken of her life was turned upside down by the ordeal. She struggled with mental health problems and lived in fear that she would be attacked again.
Ms Meehan has been outspoken in the media about her attack in a bid to inspire other victims to come forward and report to the authorities if they have been assaulted. She has also highlighted the services of the Sexual Assault Treatment Units in Ireland.