Wexford man jailed for rape of sleeping partner

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

A 28-year-old Wexford man has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to raping his then-partner while she slept. He cannot be identified to protect her anonymity.

Justice Paul Burns described the offence as an “egregious breach of trust” and treated the couple’s intimate relationship and the effect on the woman as aggravating factors. He set a nine-year headline sentence, reduced it to seven years after considering mitigation including the guilty plea, and suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions, including three years’ post-release supervision by the Probation Services.

The court heard that the woman later confronted the man during a phone call. He said he had tried to wake her, then acknowledged, “yeah, I raped you”. Text messages in evidence also included admissions and apologies.