BELFAST RAPIST CONVICTED: JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIM

A 22-year-old man named Craig Albert James Joseph Morgan has been convicted of raping a student after a rave in Belfast last year. Morgan from Malton Rise, Taughmonagh, was also found guilty of falsely imprisoning the 19-year-old woman following the incident at the Kings Hall on 22 April. During the court proceedings at Belfast Crown Court, Morgan displayed aggression as four prison officers had to restrain him when he turned his back on the judge and refused to obey instructions. The trial jury, comprising six men and five women, heard that the victim had left the rave early to find her friends. She went behind a hedge to relieve herself when Morgan approached her and refused to let her pass, marching her down the Balmoral golf course. Initially, she defended herself by hitting him with her handbag and running away, but he caught her and forced her to the ground, raping her a few meters from a gap in the fence leading to the Taughmonagh estate. The victim told the court she begged Morgan, providing him her phone number and calling him a 'good looking fella,' saying he didn't need to do this. A security guard at the event also testified that he heard a woman screaming 'no, no' from the golf course area but found nothing upon investigation. When the victim led police to the scene, they found her missing watch, earring, and a hairbrush that fell from her bag. Morgan claimed the sexual encounter was consensual and dismissed the allegations as 'fantasy,' also claiming the student told him he was 'better than my boyfriend.' The judge adjourned sentencing until probation and other reports are completed. Morgan, who had prior convictions for grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon, was ordered to sign the sex offenders register. The victim, tearful, expressed her relief that justice was served. During the trial, Morgan reacted angrily and was restrained by officers, showing his displeasure at the verdict.