Courts / Ireland / Report
Marital rape accused believed wife consented, trial hears
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court trial, an unnamed man pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of raping his wife between 2005 and 2014. The charges allege that he used household objects—knife, cheese grater, bottle, carrot, banana, cucumber, tulip, wooden spatula, decanter stopper, shoe part, bicycle pump, deodorant bottle, and his finger—to penetrate her vagina, and also that he performed anal rape with his thumb. The State's case is that the 49‑year‑old wife was unconscious or otherwise unable to consent during the assaults. The accused claimed he believed his wife consented to all sexual activity, citing weekly "date nights" and the use of a camera or phone during sex. He denied taking advantage of her, stating that any alcohol involved was not enough to impair her judgment. The trial continues before a jury and Mr Justice Paul Burns.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Marital rape accused believed wife consented, trial hears. Charges or matters: 15 counts of raping the woman on unknown dates between January 1, 2005 and September 5, 2014. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- January 1, 2005 Incident
- September 5, 2014 Incident
- March 2019 Other
- June 2017 Incident
- 2022-10-24 Publication
Why: He said there were other times when she asked him to put the camera away because "she wanted me to be in the moment" and he said he would put it away. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: 15 counts of raping the woman on unknown dates between January 1, 2005 and September 5, 2014 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request