Convicted rapist attacked woman in own home three months after prison release

A 51-year-old man convicted of rape has been sentenced to eight years and four months imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following an aggravated burglary committed in April 2018. Mark McAnaw forced his way into a Dublin home armed with a large kitchen knife three months after completing a nine-year prison sentence imposed in 2012 for sexually assaulting a young foreign student in County Donegal in 2010. The victim, who knew McAnaw from prior social contact, reported feeling terrified during the attack and subsequently developed PTSD, moving from her home and leaving her employment. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the final 16 months of the sentence on a suspended basis for 16 years, conditional on McAnaw's supervision by the Probation Services. The judge cited the targeted nature of the offence, the weapon used, and McAnaw's previous convictions as aggravating factors, whilst noting his guilty plea and psychiatric engagement as mitigating elements. Strict conditions have been imposed, including compliance with the Sex Offenders Act and abstinence from illicit substances.