Courts / Dublin / Report

Rape accused told gardaí he was "sleep-walking"

Date
2016-10-04

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a 2016 trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 29‑year‑old man pleaded not guilty to a single count of raping a woman in Dublin on 28 September 2008. He claimed he was sleep‑walking and had no conscious memory of the act. The prosecution described the alleged incident: the couple, former university friends, had travelled to Dublin, stayed at a friend's apartment, drank, and then slept in a shared bedroom. The woman, fully dressed, woke to find the man on top of her. She testified that he thrust repeatedly, that she asked him to stop, and that he later apologized. The man was interviewed by Gardaí the following year, stating he had no recollection and only a vague memory of being asked about a condom.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Rape accused told gardaí he was "sleep-walking". Charges or matters: one count of raping the woman at an apartment in Dublin in the early hours of September 28, 2008. Procedural stage: trial

When:

September 28, 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
2016-10-04 Publication

Why: " The woman took the stand and cried as she told the trial she fell asleep before waking up because "something felt really wrong and disgusting". CNI source report