Man convicted of raping wife and threatening to kill her

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A man was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of raping his wife and threatening to kill her as their marriage broke down in 2014. The proceedings were reported on 30 June 2016.

Jurors convicted him of raping her at their home in May 2014 while their son slept downstairs, and of threatening to cut her face immediately beforehand. He was also convicted of threatening to kill her over the phone the following day.

The 42-year-old had already pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife with a hammer. That assault occurred in August 2014. He pleaded not guilty to rape, assault causing harm and five counts of threats to kill or cause serious harm. Those charges covered the period from 24 May to 1 August 2014.

The jury failed to reach verdicts on charges that he head-butted her in May 2014 and threatened to do serious damage to her during a city-centre meeting about their son's custody in early August 2014. The jury had previously been instructed to return a not-guilty verdict on a fifth threat charge.

Defence counsel suggested that disputes over ownership of their home or custody of their son, along with bitterness or revenge, might explain the allegations.

Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy ordered that the man be registered as a sex offender and remanded him in custody for sentencing on 18 July.