THE MAN convicted of the murder of Swiss student Manuela Riedo was out on bail for another offence when he killed her, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Gardaí had opposed bail for Gerald Barry (29) when he appeared at Galway District Court and was charged with the assault of his former partner. He killed Ms Riedo seven weeks later.
Father-of-two Barry, from Rosan Glas, Rahoon, will be sentenced on Friday in Galway for the rape of a French student who he dragged into a football field and attacked on August 16th, 2007.
Mr Justice Paul Carney said he needed time to consider the sentence he will impose on Barry.
The student at NUI Galway and part-time waitress was returning from a night out listening to traditional music when she was attacked by Barry who had been following her.
He grabbed her by the hair and held what she thought was a knife to her throat and pulled her into the St James’s GAA grounds on Walter Macken Road, Mervue.
He forced her to perform oral sex and then raped her twice.
He repeatedly threatened to kill her telling her that he had power over her. “If you do anything or say anything I will kill you,” he told her.
The 23-year-old victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was not in court to give evidence.
Prosecution counsel Paul Burns SC read out the statement she had given to gardaí saying that she had wanted to retain her anonymity.
After being raped by Barry, she returned home to shower. She went to accident and emergency the following day, but had to write down that she was raped because she was too traumatised to speak about her experiences. She eventually went to gardaí.
After raping the French student, Barry went on to assault his ex-partner who lives nearby.
She complained to gardaí and they arrested and charged him in relation to that assault.
They also realised that the clothes that he was wearing matched a description given by the French student and he was questioned in relation to her rape.
However, Det Insp Gerald Roche from Galway Garda station, said “no evidential value” had come from their initial questioning of Barry in relation to the case.
A bloodstained top was recovered after a raid on Barry’s parents’ home in St James’s Crescent, Mervue.
Barry appeared in Galway District Court in relation to the assault on his ex-partner on August 19th, 2007. He was granted bail despite the objections of gardaí.
On October 8th, 2007, Barry sexually assaulted and strangled Manuela Riedo. He is now serving a life sentence for that murder.
Mr Burns told Mr Justice Carney that the maximum sentence for rape was life and that the nature of the assault was “at the top end of things”.
Martin Giblin SC, counsel for Barry, urged the judge not to impose a life sentence.
He said Barry pleaded guilty to the offence, sparing the victim the trauma of having to give evidence.
Mr Giblin said many of Barrys crimes occurred as a result of his drink and drugs abuse and he had no memory of the incident.
He had also had time to reflect in prison on his actions and “deeply regretted” how his actions had impacted on others.
Timeline: Gerald Barry's crimes
August 16th, 2007
Midnight-1am:Gerald Barry rapes a French student.
2.25am:Barry assaults his ex-partner.
August 18th, 2007
Barry is arrested and charged in connection with the assault on his partner. He is also questioned about the rape of the French student.
August 19th, 2007
Appears in court in relation to the assault on his ex-partner. He is granted bail.
October 8th, 2007
Barry kills 17-year-old Swiss student Manuela Riedo.
October 29th, 2007
Arrested in connection with the Riedo murder and held in custody in Castlerea Prison.
December 12th, 2007
DNA evidence found on the French student victim matches that of Barry who is again questioned in relation to her rape.
April 9th, 2008
Appears in court in relation to the rape.
March 21st, 2009
Found guilty of murdering
Manuela Riedo
and given a life sentence.
May 29th, 2009
Pleads guilty to raping French student.
July 24th, 2009
He will be sentenced for the rape of the French student.
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