A taxi-driver who subjected three women to a four-hour rape ordeal in his flat has been jailed for 30 years in consecutive sentences by Mr Justice Carney at the Central Criminal Court.
Owen Bermingham (37), Grosvenor Place, Rathmines, picked the three 20-year-old women up in Rathfarnham and invited them back to his flat.
When the women decided to leave because they felt uncomfortable, he grabbed one by the hair and held a scissors to her throat. He proceeded to rape the three victims, and forced them to perform oral sex on himself and on each other.
The court heard Bermingham began his attack at about 2.30 a.m. and it was not until 6.30 a.m. that the victims managed to confiscate the scissors and escape from the flat.
Bermingham offered to drive them home but they refused and flagged down a passing Garda patrol car.
Bermingham pleaded guilty to three charges of rape and three of oral rape on January 23rd, 2003. Three counts of false imprisonment were also taken into account. He had one previous conviction, for indecent exposure, in 1988.
Mr Justice Carney imposed three consecutive sentences of 10 years for each victim but suspended the final three years of each because there was an intention to plead guilty at an early stage, and €5,000 was offered as compensation and accepted by each victim.
Sgt McGing said the victims had been drinking in the Submarine Bar in Crumlin and had agreed to meet three men at the Spawell disco later.
When they got there they found it was closed and took a taxi to the Sarah Curran disco in Rathfarnham. That was also closed and the three men they were meeting got into another taxi and left the scene.
The victims then met Bermingham, who had been given a lift to Club Sarah to collect his taxi. He had just been discharged from St James's Hospital after overdosing on valium.
Sgt McGing said Bermingham offered to take them where they wanted to go and when they asked him if anywhere was open he said there wasn't. He invited them back to his bedsit in Rathmines and they agreed to go.
He produced two cans of Guinness there but they had some tea and coffee instead, as well as some hash. He put a DVD on for the three women and went to have a shower. Sgt McGing said Bermingham emerged from the shower in his boxer shorts and made a pass at one of the women.
The three decided to leave because they felt uncomfortable but Bermingham became aggressive and angry. He held a scissors to the throat of one and said they were going nowhere. He locked the door and made them undress and forced them to perform oral sex on himself and each other.
The court heard Bermingham suffered from serious depressive episodes and was sexually assaulted as a child. He had no history of criminal activity and expressed genuine remorse for what he had done.