Courts

Man jailed for repeatedly raping ex-partner during meetings to discuss child’s welfare

Woman says defendant (45) used charm and her addiction issues ‘to worm his way back’ into her life

The Central Criminal Court heard the man does not accept the verdicts of the jury and has not expressed any remorse as a result. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh

Isabel Hayes
Fri Apr 19 2024 - 17:48

A Dublin man who repeatedly raped his ex-partner when they met to discuss their child’s welfare has been jailed for 10½ years.

The 45-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the anonymity of his victim, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of six counts of raping and anally raping the woman at her home on dates between January 2019 and September 2020.

He does not accept the verdicts of the jury and has not expressed any remorse as a result, the court heard.

Sentencing the man on Friday, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs said it was a breach of trust in that the man raped his former partner who was the mother of his child. She noted the victim made it clear that she was not consenting by repeatedly saying no and telling him to stop.

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Ms Justice Biggs noted the man used humiliating and degrading words while raping the woman and that this occurred repeatedly. She noted the level of violence inflicted went beyond that inherent in the act of rape, including pulling the woman’s hair, pushing her on to a bathroom floor and pushing her on to a bed.

She handed down a sentence of 10½ years and ordered that the man remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for three years upon his release.

Sgt Siobhán Tolan told Sean O’Carroll SC, prosecuting, that the man and woman had a relationship in 2016 resulting in the birth of their son. The relationship broke down but they kept in contact in relation to the boy’s care.

In November 2019, they met at the woman’s apartment to discuss plans for their son’s birthday. The court heard the man then grabbed the woman and brought her into her bathroom where he raped her. The woman said she pleaded with him to stop, but he told her she was his “slut” and to “shut up”.

The man went on to rape the woman in a similar way at her home on dates in March 2020 and September 2020 when he was there to discuss their child. The court heard the man and the woman had issues with drug addiction at the time.

The woman went to gardaí after the third incident and the man was arrested the following month. He has been in custody since he was found guilty at his trial in February.

In her victim impact statement, which she read out at the sentence hearing, the woman said the man kept trying to get back into her life after they broke up.

“He would use his charm on me,” she said. “When this did not work, he used my addiction to drugs and drink to worm his way back into my life.”

She said he tried to get social services to take her son away from her and turned all of his family members against her, including his mother who used to help in the care of their child.

“I didn’t think people would believe me because of the drugs and addiction,” she said. “I wasn’t going to come forward. I did it to protect my kids. I want them to see me strong and show them this should never have happened and they never let anyone do this to them or treat them this way.”

Ms Justice Biggs commended the victim for the manner in which she gave her evidence, which she described as compelling and poignant. She said the woman’s children “should be very proud of their mum”.

In his plea of mitigation, Tony McGillicuddy SC, defending, said the man has an older child as well as the son he has with his victim. He said the man’s relationship with his younger son will be affected by what has occurred.

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