Defence forces member jailed for repeated rape of fellow soldier as judge finds he was 'significantly misled' over 'dedicated father' claims

A Defence Forces member has been sentenced to eight and a half years' imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the repeated rape of a fellow soldier. The 30-year-old man from Derry was convicted in December following trial of anal rape, oral rape and rape of the woman at a Dublin hotel in July 2021. He had pleaded not guilty to six charges in total, with the jury failing to reach verdicts on three remaining counts. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed the sentence after finding the defendant had been "significantly misled" by mitigation evidence claiming he was a "dedicated father". Two women subsequently contacted the Director of Public Prosecutions to state the defendant had minimal contact with his children and paid no maintenance. The judge noted this constituted a "false prospectus" and stated he had intended to reduce the sentence by two years but would not do so given the misleading evidence presented. The victim, a serving soldier, delivered a statement describing the profound impact the assault had on her life, career and mental health.