A former builder who kidnapped and raped two sisters and forced them to perform sexual acts on each other has been jailed for 10 years by the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
The 37-year-old Dublin man, who cannot be named in order to protect the victims' identity, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment of the two women, (37 and 41 respectively), to raping them and to forcing oral intercourse on them on February 18th, 2001.
Mr Justice Carney said he had been of the firm view before the hearing that the man deserved nothing less than life imprisonment for subjecting the two sisters, one of whom was his partner of 14 years, to such "degradation and humiliation".
However, he said, both victims had asserted that his actions on the night were "out of character" and that he had always been "a great provider" for his family.
Mr Justice Carney said he was also taking into consideration the three children the accused had with one of the victims.
Still, he said, he was reducing the sentence to 10 years with "some reservations". He added the accused to the sexual offenders register and directed that he remain in post-release supervision for a further 10 years upon his release.
He suspended the last 18 months of the sentence on account of the man's early plea of guilty.
Sgt Martin Woods told prosecuting counsel Mr Connor De Valle that throughout the ordeal both women had been sure they would not live to see the next day as the accused subjected them to physical and sexual abuse.
Defence counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, said his client was genuinely remorseful for his actions, and apologised to the sisters "from the bottom of his heart". Mr O'Higgins also described him as usually a pleasant, calm and hard-working person who supported his family before and after the incidents.
"The guilt of his actions has remained, and will forever remain with him," Mr O'Higgins said.
Sgt Woods said that while the man's partner had considered withdrawing her statement due to the potential effect on the children of having their father as a convicted rapist, she was consumed by guilt for having put her sister in such a position.