The first man in the State's history to be convicted for raping his wife has been jailed for six years in Central Criminal Court today.
In July, a jury of eight men and four women returned the guilty verdict following a four-day trial.
The Sligo builder (46) had pleaded not guilty to raping and attempting to rape his wife (36) on July 21st, 1997, at their house in Sligo. He was found not guilty of the second charge.
Mr Justice Paul Carney told the jury after its verdict was heard that the case had taken so long to reach a trial because the man had earlier pleaded guilty and then changed the plea to not guilty at his sentence hearing on July 14th, 2000.