A Monaghan man who claimed God had given him a licence "to rape loose women" has been jailed for life at the Central Criminal Court.
Francis King (48), with an address at Crover, Broomfield, Castleblaney, was convicted by a jury following under an hour of consideration after a one-day trial.
He was convicted of attempted rape, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, assault causing harm and false imprisonment of a woman on November 29th, 2002.
King told gardaí after he attacked a woman in her home, that God gave him this "power" when he had been "in Heaven" which he said was what others believed was a hospice in Harolds Cross in Dublin.
He told gardaí the woman he attacked "deserved it." He added to gardaí : "You have to put manners on them."
Mr Justice Paul Carney noted King believed he had been commanded by God to deal with women when he disapproved of their lifestyle, such as going dancing.
"He intends to do the same again and I cannot take a risk", he said, adding that his sentence wasn't as harsh in all the circumstances of King's case as it might seem at first glance. The parole board would have a file on him and a future decision would be a matter for another authority.
Expert evidence was given for the defence by Dr Damian Mohan on the question of King's mental state when he committed the offences. The jury heard he had a long history back to childhood of abnormal sexual deviancy, including exposing himself to people.
Dr Mohan said King didn't appreciate the quality of his actions on that occasion and met the criteria for a guilty but insane verdict. He needed ongoing treatment and supervision and for public safety he should be held in the Central Mental Hospital where he had been for some time.
But Dr Helen O'Neill, for the prosecution, said although a psychotic element might have been a contributory factor to his actions on November 29th, 2002, it was not the reason for his offending.