Courts / Ireland / Report
Woman discovered boyfriend was sexually assaulting her as she slept after phone analysis
Summary
A 25‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to rape, attempted rape and recording a woman without consent between September and October 2021. Gardaí analysed his phone after the woman, who had contacted a sexual‑violence hotline in November 2021, reported that he had been sexually assaulting her while she slept and had taken videos of her in that state. The videos showed her snoring and the man attempting sex and assaulting her while she was unconscious. The court heard that the woman had previously reported a rape in October 2021, that she had been sleeping deeply due to insomnia medication, and that the man had taken magic mushrooms on the day of the rape. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a six‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, including keeping away from the victim, engaging in treatment recommended by the Probation Service and remaining in contact for three years.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman discovered boyfriend was sexually assaulting her as she slept after phone analysis. Charges or matters: rape, attempted rape and recording an image of the woman without her consent on dates between September and October 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 2021 Incident
- November 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 2021 Other
- June 2022 Incident
- 2024-05-01 Publication
Why: A woman discovered her boyfriend had been sexually assaulting her while she slept after gardaí analysed his phone because she was concerned that he was going to share a video of them having sex. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: rape, attempted rape and recording an image of the woman without her consent on dates between September and October 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Mr Justice Paul McDermott today imposed a six-year sentence on the man, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions including that the man keep away from the victim, engage with any treatment as recommended by the Probation Service and engage with them for three years. Mr Justice McDermott imposed a six-year sentence with the final year suspended on strict conditions.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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