Man who attacked and raped 15-year-old jailed for six years

A young man who attacked and violently raped a 15-year-old girl in his home has been jailed for six years.

The man (20), who cannot be named to protect the anonymity of his victim, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape and assault causing harm to the girl at his Co Meath home in the early hours of March 27th, 2018.

Passing sentence on Monday, Mr Justice Michael White said it was a “violent rape” by an 18-year-old boy against a “completely innocent child”.

“It was very obvious she was not consenting to any contact with him whatsoever,” the judge said.

The judge noted a probation service report raised concerns about the man’s attitude to sexual assault and consent in respect of young women. “He seems to minimise his behaviour,” the judge said.

He handed down an eight-year sentence, but suspended the final two years on a number of conditions, including that the man complete the Better Lives programme while in custody.

The judge paid tribute to the victim in the case, saying: “She should feel no shame whatsoever. This was not her fault.”

“She should hold her head up high,” he added.

An investigating garda told Eilis Brennan SC, prosecuting, that on the night of March 26th, 2018, the victim got a call from her friend inviting her out. The child knew she would not be allowed out if she asked her father and she snuck out instead.

The victim got into a car which contained her friend, another girl who was driving the car, the man and his brother. Four of them ended up at the man’s house while the girl whose car it was drove home.

The victim’s friend and the accused’s brother went upstairs, leaving her sitting on the couch with the accused. He tried to kiss her, but she did not kiss him, as she knew he had a girlfriend.

She went upstairs to charge her phone so that she could download an app that would allow her to order a taxi. While she was sitting on a bed waiting for her phone to charge, the accused came upstairs and tried to kiss her again.

The victim stood up and tried to leave the room, but was grabbed by the accused. He put her on the bed, took off her clothes while she struggled and raped her.

She told him that she was 15 and had never had sex before, but he replied that he didn’t care. He choked her during the rape, told her not to tell anyone and said that if she did he would get someone to burn down her house.

The man’s brother entered the room and told him to get off the girl. She then jumped up and fled the house in search of her friend.

Afterwards when the girl looked in the mirror, she saw scratches on her face that were bleeding. She eventually told her friends about the rape a few months later in July 2018.

The man has 14 previous convictions. These include previous convictions for sexual assault and assault causing harm, as well as convictions for theft, criminal damage, public order offences and road traffic offences.

The garda agreed with Michael Bowman SC, defending, that his client told gardaí­ he had consumed alcohol and drugs on the date in question. She agreed his client admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with the girl, but he claimed in interview with gardaí­ that it was consensual.

In her victim impact statement, which was read out before the court, the girl said she hated having to tell gardaí­ what happened and was terrified of having to do say what happened in court. She said she just wanted this done so she could start a new chapter.