A DROGHEDA man has been convicted of sexually assaulting one woman and raping another less than two hours later.
Christopher Farrell (27) was convicted by a jury after 2½ hours’ deliberation and a nine-day trial.
A garda involved with the case commented afterwards that “the streets are a safer place tonight” with Farrell is in custody.
Farrell, of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, had pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, attempted rape and false imprisonment of one woman and sexual assault of another on September 16th, 2007, at two locations in Co Louth.
Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan ordered Farrell be registered as a sex offender and adjourned sentencing until October so a probation report could be prepared.
The trial heard Farrell offered a woman a lift home after she had been on a night out and she awoke to him sexually assaulting her in the car parked in a field.
He dropped her home and went back into the main town where he picked up another woman and said he would drive her home.
He parked the car down a country lane, made sure she couldn’t escape, and raped her.
He then dropped her home. Both women were later able to pick out his car in a car park.
During interview he claimed both incidents were consensual but agreed that women “p***ed him off” and that one of the victims “might have felt raped afterwards”.
Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan remanded him in custody after prosecuting counsel said she had “specific instructions” to ask that he not be granted bail. A defence application to remand him on bail so he could continue to work was refused.
Mr Justice Sheehan ordered Farrell be registered as a sex offender and adjourned sentencing until October. He thanked the jury of six men and six women and excused them from further service for five years.