A Westmeath man who raped and sexually assaulted a woman now aged 72 between 1983 and 1994 has been jailed for eight years by Mr Justice Quirke at the Central Criminal Court.
Michael Boyce (56), married with a grown-up family, of Rathconrath, Mullingar, was convicted by a jury on November 17th after a 22-day trial on a charge of raping the woman in her home in 1989 and on charges of attempted rape and sexual assaults on specific dates.
Mr Justice Quirked said Boyce had literally terrorised the woman over 11 years and had forced her from her home. He refused a request by Mr David Goldberg SC, defending, for leave to appeal conviction and sentence.
Boyce had been due for release in May from a three-year sentence imposed in February 1999 for an indecent assault in 1985 on a then 10-year-old girl.
Mr George Birmingham SC, prosecuting, had told Mr Justice Quirke that the victim wanted Boyce's name published. He had pleaded not guilty to nine counts of rape and indecent assault between 1983 and 1994.
Mr Justice Quirke told Boyce that he had violently invaded his victim's home and brutally attacked her. She had spent 12 days in hospital after one attack.
"The sentence must reflect that the community will not tolerate these types of crimes against vulnerable victims", the judge said. He sentenced Boyce to eight years on the rape charge, five, six and seven years for attempted rape, four years for sexual assault and three years for indecent assault, to run concurrently and date from February 1999.