Eight years for man who raped woman as she slept beside newborn baby

A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment following his conviction for rape at the Central Criminal Court. Shaun O'Donnell, originally from Leeds in the United Kingdom, was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault against a woman at a Donegal residence on 26 March 2021. The offence occurred while the victim slept beside her partner and newborn baby. O'Donnell, who had been staying with the couple, initially climbed into the bed undetected. Upon discovering his identity, the woman left the room. Mr Justice David Keane described the breach of trust as "fundamental" and noted the grave harm caused to the victim. The judge imposed the sentence without suspension, observing that O'Donnell had not accepted the verdicts or expressed remorse. A concurrent sentence of two years and eight months was imposed on the sexual assault charge. The sentences were backdated to February of the previous year when O'Donnell entered custody.