Three men who raped teenager in flat jailed

Three men who gang-raped a teenager in a flat on the Isle of Man have been jailed.

James Doherty, 42, Steven Cannon, 46 and Graham Skillicorn, 67, abused the then 18-year-old at the home of the older man in the early hours of 25 June 2022.

All three were found guilty following a trial at Douglas Courthouse. Doherty was sentenced to 16 years in prison, Cannon was jailed for 13 years and Skillicorn for 11 years.

Deemster Sandeep Kainth said the offences were of the "utmost gravity" and the harm caused to the victim was "severe and lasting", adding there had been "no demonstration whatsoever of genuine remorse from any one of you".

All three men were placed on the sex offenders' register and issued with a restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victim.

The men were previously found guilty of rape after a trial at Douglas Courthouse in 2024, but later had their convictions quashed leading to a second trial which began on 27 July.

On Tuesday, the jury found all three guilty of rape.

The court heard the victim had met Doherty and Cannon while at a house party in Douglas, where people were drinking and taking drugs, on 24 June 2022.

Later, she and Cannon were driven to Skillicorn's home in Anagh Coar by Doherty where the victim had later "blacked out" on a chair in the living room.

The court heard she awoke in the early hours of 25 June to find Doherty abusing her, with the two defendants subsequently joining in the "sustained" attack, part of which was recorded.

The court heard Doherty had played a leading role and had "made comments encouraging participation" by the other men.

She told friends and family about the attack later the same day and her parents reported it to the police.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said she had persistent nightmares and flashbacks, and had suffered from panic attacks and suicidal thoughts.

She said it was "the moment my life changed forever". She added the men had taken away her innocence and sense of self-worth, and her mental health was a "daily struggle".

"I was just a girl, they were three men," she said, adding that having to give evidence in court was like being raped again.

"I know I've told the truth - they are the liars, not me," she said.

"I want to move on with my life. I do not want these vile people to have any hold on me."

Jailing the men, the Deemster Kainth described the victim as vulnerable and surrounded by men she barely knew who had treated her "as an object for sexual gratification".

The attack, which began when she was unconscious, was a "concerted exploitation of a young woman who was intoxicated".

The consequences for the victim had been "catastrophic and enduring," he said.

He said while no sentence could undo what has been done, or undo the trauma associated with it, it could "reflect the direct harm that has been caused".

Praising the victim's bravery, the deemster said: "The resilience you have shown has been remarkable."

He said, had she not had the "courage and fortitude" to report the attack and give evidence at the trial, "three rapists would still be out and about".

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