A Dublin man who raped a pregnant woman in a disused Galway building during a two-hour ordeal in 1994 during which he threatened to kill her has been jailed in the Central Criminal Court for nine years.
William Wynne (27) was extradited from England where he was jailed in 1995 for eight years for a sexual assault he committed there shortly after the Galway crime.
Mr Justice Carney described the details of the indignities Wynne forced on his victim as "appalling and disgusting and too sickening to repeat". Wynne, with an address at Dunne Street Flats, North Strand, Dublin, pleaded guilty to raping the woman on July 11th, 1994. The victim became very distressed during the recital of the evidence. Sgt Sean de Burca told Mr Michael Durack SC, prosecuting, that Wynne had been introduced to the victim by her partner. They offered him the hospitality of staying in their flat. Some hours later they were drinking in a nearby pub. The victim was drinking a non-alcoholic beverage. Wynne said he had to leave to meet a girlfriend and asked the victim to accompany him. They got a taxi to the Galway railway station area.
While walking past a disused building, Wynne left her standing outside while he went in. He came back out and pulled her inside by grabbing her by the neck. Wynne ordered her to take off her clothes and threatened to strangle her.
Sgt de Burca said she became so distressed she soiled her clothes and Wynne took her into a toilet where he supervised her washing herself. She was stripped naked by this time and he ordered her to lie down on a mattress. During the next two hours he sexually assaulted and raped her.
Wynne fell asleep and the woman covered herself with some clothing to escape. Gardai found Wynne asleep in the building and arrested him. He refused to admit his offence. He was released while a report was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Sgt de Burca said Wynne's first offence was the arson of North Strand library in Dublin when he was 15, for which he served two years in Trinity House. He had been abused as a child and had "a difficult relationship" with his father. At 13, he was the first resident of a hostel for homeless boys. Mr Barry White SC, defending, said Wynne was clearly in need of professional guidance.