A DRIFTER who robbed and attempted to rape a 22 year old woman hitchhiker near Cashel has been jailed for three years by the Central Criminal Court.
Hours after that attack, Peter McDonagh kicked in the front door of a house and threatened a woman in her 60s with a wheelbrace. She escaped and McDonagh fled.
In court, McDonagh replied "yeah, I know that" when Mr Justice Lavan said he should be sent down for seven years.
Earlier, McDonagh took the witness stand to outline his background and express remorse for his crimes. He wept as he pleaded for leniency and said he was willing to accept treatment for his alcohol problem.
Mr Justice Lavan told McDonagh that his offending had progressed from the district courts throughout Ireland to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. The three offences he admitted to carried maximum penalties of life imprisonment.
But, he said, he would give McDonagh one more chance in the light of his immediate confession on arrest and his genuine remorse.
He was also taking into account that a retired timber worker, Mr Frank Fennessy, who had befriended the defendant and let him stay in his family home, had come to court to give character evidence.
Mr Justice Lavan said that with great reluctance he would also backdate the three year sentence to May 2nd last, when McDonagh was taken into custody.
McDonagh (32) was born in Galway of a family of 15. He had drifted from place to place since leaving the family at the age of 15 and was officially of no fixed abode, the court was told.
He pleaded guilty on October 15th last to attempting to rape the woman on May 1st, 1996. He also admitted robbing her of £60 sterling.
The charge in relation to the elderly woman, at 4 a.m. the next day, was taken into account.
Sgt Tom O'Brien of Cashel Garda station told Mr John Walshe (with Ms Maureen Clark SC) prosecuting, that the victim lived in England. Doctors found she was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder because of the attack.
She was visiting friends in Tipperary when, on May 1st, 1996, she accepted a lift from McDonagh on the Fethard Road.
After a short time McDonagh turned down by roads. He told the victim he was looking for a place to go to the toilet.
He tried to have sexual intercourse with her in the car but was unsuccessful. He tried again on the ground outside the car but was again unsuccessful.
Sgt O'Brien said McDonagh then demanded money and received £60 sterling, before telling her to leave the car again.
She memorised the make and registration number of the car and was able to pick McDonagh out from photographs.
He was arrested early in the morning shortly after the offence at the other woman's house.
Sgt O'Brien agreed with Mr Thomas Slattery SC (with Ms Melanie Greally) defending, that McDonagh made a full confession to gardai and had repeatedly expressed his remorse and concern for the victim since then.