Man jailed for 10 years for rape of neighbour at knife point

A man who tricked his way into his neighbour’s house before raping her at knife point and threatening to kill her in an ordeal that lasted over two hours has been jailed for 10 years.

The man forced the woman to drive to a park after raping her at her home. There he alternated between threatening to kill her and saying he was going to kill himself. She managed to keep talking to him until eventually he threw away his knife and they drove to a garda station.

The man told gardaí he had taken “a mountain of coke” and couldn’t believe what he had done.

During the ordeal the then 27-year-old man man threatened his 54-year-old victim that he would rape her daughter and grand-daughter if she did not do as she was told.

The now 29-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his victim's identity, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape, oral rape and false imprisonment of the woman in Dublin on June 16, 2015.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott said it had been a shocking and violent attack on the victim by a man she knew and trusted enough to allow into her home. He noted that the man knew the woman suffered a number of issues with her health.

He said there was extensive forensic evidence and noted while the accused man’s guilty plea had not been at an early stage, it had saved the woman the ordeal of a trial. He said the accused man had expressed remorse and seemed to acknowledge the appalling wrong he had done.

He noted the woman had suffered greatly as a result of the attack and felt like a prisoner in her own home. He said the woman “locks down” her home from about 4pm in the afternoon.

Mr Justice McDermott imposed a sentence of 12 years and suspended the final two years on strict conditions. He ordered five years post release supervision.

In her victim impact report the woman said her peace of mind had been shattered and her health and well being had suffered. She said she suffered flashbacks and was in a constant state of fear.

She said she barricades herself into her home and feels as if she is the one who has committed a crime. She said she suffered from a chronic illness and running for help had not been an option.

The woman said she had never been so scared in her life as she was during the attack and felt it was beyond belief someone could do that, never mind someone she knew and trusted.

Mary Rose Gearty SC, defending, submitted that drink and drugs had played a part in the offence and that it appeared to be "wholly out of character." She outlined voluntary work the accused had carried out in his community. She handed in two testimonials and a psychological report.

She asked the court to accept his remorse as genuine and take into account his guilty plea.