Ex-Ireland U20 rugby player Denis Coulson has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for rape, alongside several other former teammates found guilty of related crimes in Bordeaux.
Former Irish Rugby Player Sentenced for Rape in Bordeaux
Former Irish Rugby Player Sentenced for Rape in Bordeaux
Denis Coulson receives a 14-year prison sentence as part of a larger case involving former international rugby players.
Denis Coulson, a former Ireland U20 rugby international, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of raping a woman in Bordeaux, France, in 2017. The verdict was delivered on Friday at the Cour d'Assises in Bordeaux. Coulson, who was born in Dublin and had played for Connacht and French side Stade Français, was part of a larger case that included former rugby players Chris Farrell, Loick Jammes, Rory Grice, and Dylan Hayes, all of whom faced various charges.
Chris Farrell, a member of Ireland's Grand Slam-winning 2018 Six Nations squad, received a four-year sentence, with two years suspended, for failing to prevent a crime. The court mandated that he wear an electronic tag for two years and remain in France. The remaining defendants included Jammes, 30, from France, who was sentenced to 14 years for rape, and Grice, 34, from New Zealand, who received a 12-year sentence for the same charge.
Dylan Hayes, another New Zealander aged 30, was given a two-year suspended sentence for his involvement in failing to prevent a crime. All five men had previously denied the charges against them, but the court proceedings have emphasized the serious nature of the offenses linked to the rugby community.
