A 19-year-old French woman was kidnapped, raped and savagely assaulted by a Limerick man with whom she had been drinking in a local park, a Central Criminal Court jury has been told.
The 33-year-old accused has denied five charges of false imprisonment, rape, rape by penetration of the anus, aggravated sexual assault and assault causing harm to the woman between 7 p.m on August 15th and 1 a.m on August 16th, 2003.
Mr Brendan Grehan SC (with Mr Paul Greene), prosecuting, told the jury the complainant was in Limerick at the time with others on an English language improvement course. She left her lodgings at about 7 p.m on the night of the alleged offences and met the accused whom she didn't know before this.
Mr Grehan said the accused was with two other male friends and, after he bought alcohol in an off-licence, the four of them went to a local park where they spent time talking and drinking.
The young woman said at about 11 p.m that she had to go home and the accused offered to walk her there. When they got to a certain point during the journey, the accused pushed her to the ground. He put his hands around her neck so firmly she thought she would die.
The alleged victim said she had her clothes taken off while her attacker subjected her to an appalling sexual assault which lasted a long time.
She suffered several assaults until she eventually managed to persuade him to let her go. She sought help from a man she thought she could trust and he called the gardaí.
She was taken to hospital where she was found to have multiple bruises, a black eye, a broken tooth and other loosened teeth as well as bruising and pressure marks on her neck.
Ms Isobel Kennedy SC (with Mr Mark Nicholas), for the accused, told the jury the defence were making certain admissions which would cut out the need to call evidence from some 30 witnesses and so shorten the trial.
Ms Kennedy said the accused admitted meeting the complainant around 7 p.m on August 15th, 2003, that he bought some alcohol and that he and the woman and two other men went to a park and socialised there.
Ms Kennedy said the defence also admitted they left the park together later that night and that he was later arrested.
The hearing continues before Mr Justice Roderick Murphy and a jury of five women and seven men.