Sentencing has been adjourned in the case of two 20-year-old men who carried out a horrific attack on a random teenage female, one of whom claimed she “wanted it”.
Luis Dos Martins Mariano from Sloan Street and Alcino Soares from Braeside, both in Dungannon, committed the offences on September 10, 2023.
Mariano admitted rape in March 2025 at Dungannon Crown Court and was remanded in custody while Soares pleaded not guilty.
Concerns were then raised over his ability to understand proceedings as “he has not adequately developed his own language or English”.
Numerous adjournments followed while expert reports were obtained, however, by October 2025 Soares was deemed fit for trial, but just as a jury was to be sworn, he changed his plea.
While acknowledging a custodial sentence was inevitable, the defence urged against remanding in custody citing “limited capabilities and poor communication”.
But Judge Richard Green replied: “I’ve read the police interview transcripts and the defendant communicated very well and without an interpreter.”
Soares was remanded in custody and like Mariano, ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register.
The cases were then adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.
Today (Thursday) the pair were back in the dock, where prosecution counsel set out how they encountered the completely random 19-year-old victim and walked her – one on either side – to an empty underground carpark in Dungannon.
She was taken to a rear corner and raped by Mariano while Soares “watched and laughed, pacing up and down”, apparently keeping a look out.
At some points the victim appeared completely limp and possibly unconscious.
She stumbled away, but Soares approached, pulled down her lower clothing and raped her.
Mariano laughed as he videoed the attack on his phone, before Soares walked away, leaving the victim lying on the ground.
Police were alerted and seized CCTV footage from the carpark which captured the entire incident.
Officers then encountered Soares after reports of him following women and filming them on his phone.
Bodyworn video from this was compared with the CCTV footage from the carpark and Soares was arrested.
His DNA matched that found on the victim’s clothes.
After caution he replied: “I didn’t rape anyone. No way man. That wasn’t me.”
He insisted all sexual activity was consensual and the victim “wanted it”.
Mariano was arrested a week later and on first reaching court a detective described him as the “instigator”.
While not challenging the victim’s account, defence counsel for Mariano said there is an issue around “consent and capacity to consent … There is the turmoil of adolescence and misguided, immature misinterpretation. It was clearly not consent and the harm caused to the victim is not disputed … He apologises to the victim and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. It must be borne in mind he was a child at the time.”
Soares’ defence also cited how “reasonable consent” is constituted but did not dispute the victim’s account and apologised for his actions.
It was accepted the case was significantly delayed by obtaining reports on Soares’ capacity.
Judge Green said he wished to take time to consider all matter and ruled sentencing will take place on September 17.
The pair have been placed on the Sex Offenders Register, the duration of which will be determined at sentencing.
