Taxi driver convicted of rape of female passengers

By Eimear Dodd

A Dublin man has been convicted of the rape of two young women in the back of his taxi two years ago.

Raymond Shorten (50) of Melrose Crescent, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of anal rape by a jury at the Central Criminal Court today.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts after a total of 76 minutes of deliberation.

They started their deliberations yesterday afternoon.

Shorten had pleaded not guilty to the rape and anal rape of a 19-year-old woman on June 25, 2022 and to the rape of another woman, then aged 20, a couple of months later on August 9.

The prosecution’s case was that each young woman found themselves in a taxi after a night out socialising in Dublin city centre where each was raped by the driver, Shorten.

Shorten denied the allegations and said the sexual interactions between him and each woman was consensual.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury for their care and attention during the six days of the trial.

He excused them from jury service for five years.

He remanded Shorten in custody to be sentenced on July 1 and ordered the preparation of victim impact statements.