Courts / Donegal / Report
Woman raped by partner declined counselling as notes could be used against her at trial
Summary
Paul Arthur, 59, of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was sentenced today at the Central Criminal Court to 10 years' imprisonment after being found guilty by a jury of two counts of anal rape and one count of vaginal rape of his former partner, Susan Lynch. The offences occurred between September 2017 and July 2018. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath described the attacks as a repeated, pre-meditated breach of trust. In mitigation, the judge noted Arthur had no previous convictions and health issues, but determined prison would not be unduly oppressive. The sentence was backdated to when Arthur entered custody following the guilty verdicts in November. Ms Lynch, who waived anonymity, read a victim impact statement detailing her trauma, including panic attacks, surgeries, and alopecia. She stated she declined counselling because notes could be used against her at trial, a regret she expressed to the court. She also highlighted financial losses and the loss of her home and identity. Defence counsel John Berry SC confirmed there would be no appeal against the conviction. The court heard that a proposed law to protect rape survivors' counselling notes from admissibility has yet to be passed.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman raped by partner declined counselling as notes could be used against her at trial. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- September 2017 Incident
- July 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 21, 2018 Incident
- 2025-01-17 Publication
Why: Photo: Collins) A woman who was raped by her then partner has told a court that she declined any counselling because notes from the sessions could be used against her at trial. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; He was jailed today for 10 years.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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