Man jailed for raping Donegal woman to appeal sentence

 

A man jailed for 12 years for the violent rape of a young Donegal woman at a gaming convention in Dublin is to appeal the severity of his sentence.
Keith Hearne (29) was jailed in 2017 for the rape and false imprisonment of Dominique Meehan from Letterkenny, who was 24 years old at the time, at the Crowne Plaza in Blanchardstown in 2015.
Hearne from Allenton Drive, Tallaght admitted raping Dominique Meehan after locking her in a meeting room she was setting up for a special screening.
Ms Meehan, who waived her right to anonymity after Hearne was convicted, was only saved when another person forced their way into the room when they heard the disturbance inside.
She has since said she feared Hearne would kill her.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy handed down the 12-year sentence at the Central Criminal Court, saying the ordeal had been “devastating” for the victim.
According to the Irish Independent, Ms Meehan was told last week that Hearne’s appeal against the length of the sentence handed down to him will be heard in April.