A man who raped his teenage babysitter after a night's drinking has been jailed for five years by the Central Criminal Court.
Stephen O'Hanlon (26) of Killmooney Drive, Cavan, pleaded guilty to committing the offence on August 1st, 1997. He had no previous convictions.
Mr Justice Carney heard the victim told her friend about the rape. Eventually, she wrote a letter to her mother and the crime was reported i on August 8th, 1997.
Garda Michelle Moran told Ms Miriam Reynolds SC, prosecuting, that O'Hanlon returned earlier than his partner to his home on August 1st, 1997. The babysitter was on a couch and O'Hanlon began feeling her. She asked him to stop but he continued and raped her. Garda Moran said O'Hanlon came to the Garda station voluntarily and initially denied he had assaulted her. He then made some admissions about "messing about" with her and finally made a full statement admitting he raped her. His statement was consistent with the victim's account.
Mr Patrick MacEntee SC (with Brendan Mulhall), defending, offered character evidence on behalf of his client, saying his family and partner were supportive of him. Mr Justice Carney i. The prosecution had volunteered the victim had improved with O'Hanlon's guilty plea so he would suspended the final two years of the five-year sentence he had to impose to reflect the gravity of the offence.