A Dublin man has been found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of kidnapping, raping and threatening to kill a prostitute almost four years ago.
Stephen Doherty (31), St Mark's Drive, Clondalkin, was remanded in custody by Mr Justice Carney for sentence on February 2nd. He was convicted on day four of his trial of false imprisonment of the woman on March 6th, 2000, at Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, and on three further charges of rape, oral rape, and threatening to kill her.
The attack took place in a renovated building, Riversdale House, which was at one time the residence of the poet W.B. Yeats.
The now 27-year-old victim, a former heroin addict, said Doherty told her he had never paid for sex in his life and wasn't going to pay "a brasser" like her.
She told prosecuting counsel Mr Paul Coffey SC she had agreed a price for sexual services with Doherty in Benburb Street, Dublin, and went with him on his motorcycle to the house in Rathfarnham.
He refused to pay her in advance of sexual activity when she asked, and produced a knife which she said he kept in one hand or the other while he raped her and then forced her to perform other sexual acts.
She said he wiped himself on a curtain, and then brought her back to Benburb Street where he threatened he would return and kill her if she reported what had happened. She said he didn't remove his helmet at any time.
When Doherty sped off, she called over another prostitute to tell her what had happened. They reported the rape to two patrolling gardaí and she later identified the house and bedroom but couldn't describe Doherty because he hadn't removed his helmet visor.
The jury heard that DNA evidence from the curtain, the woman's clothing and a cigarette recovered in Riversdale House linked Doherty and her to the scene.
Doherty in evidence denied the charges but agreed that while he planned to have sex with a prostitute that night, he had no money in his pocket. He said he hadn't used violence and that the sexual activity was consensual.
Mr Justice Carney noted that Doherty was suggesting he had found a prostitute who provided her services on credit.