A Dublin man yesterday admitted burning a car two months before he attempted to rape an 87year-old woman in her bed. Gerard Moran (22), a car valet, of Leinster Street, was linked to the sex attack by gardai, who noticed similarities between that crime and the way nine cars had been broken into and set alight. He pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to damaging a car by fire at Shandon Park on October 1st, 1996.
Judge Cyril Kelly was told the guilty plea was being accepted by the State without prejudice to a number of other similar charges Moran faces. Moran was remanded in continuing custody for sentence on April 2nd next.
Last month Moran was jailed for seven years in the Central Criminal Court after he admitted attempting to rape an 87-year-old woman in her home in the early morning of December 6th, 1996. The woman died five months later, but there was no suggestion Moran was responsible for that, the court heard.
Mr Justice McCracken had accepted a submission by Mr Patrick Gageby SC, defending, that the death of Moran's sister in early 1996 could have been the trigger for the sudden development of his alcohol abuse.
Moran was arrested six days after the rape attempt and admitted his involvement. Suspicion had fallen on him because the woman's house had been broken into using the method Moran employed to break into cars and set them alight.
Moran said the attack on the woman had been preying on his mind and he wanted to get everything off his chest. He made a full and frank admission, Sgt O'Brien said.