A MAN who violently raped his 71-year-old aunt after absconding from prison in the UK has been jailed for 14 years.
The 51-year-old was convicted last month of the rape and sexual assault of his aunt at her home on March 13, 2011 following an eight-day trial.
The accused raped his aunt on her bed after tearing off the woman’s clothes during a four-hour ordeal which began when she let him in for a cup of tea.
The woman sustained substantial injuries and had difficulty walking for some time.
Detective Inspector Patrick Marry told the Central Criminal Court that the victim had met her nephew on one previous occasion when he called to her house about one week prior to the rape.
On the morning of March 13, 2011 the woman had risen and dressed at 7am when she heard her doorbell ringing. She saw it was her nephew and invited him in for a cup of tea.
As she made a cup of tea in the kitchen her nephew came up behind her and put his hand over her mouth and a knife to her throat.
He threatened her and dragged her into the sitting room as she struggled.
Still holding the knife, he brought her to the bedroom where he tore off her clothes and raped her on the bed.
Before he left four hours later, he threatened her not to say anything.
The woman phoned her niece and sister-in-law who persuaded her to contact gardai. She had already taken a shower because she felt dirty.
She was examined at a sexual assault treatment unit where it was found she had extensive injuries.
Det Inspt Marry said the man had been given day release in January 2011 from a sentence he was serving, but he failed to return to prison and was deemed to have absconded.
He fled to the UK where he was arrested in June 2011.
Yesterday, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the woman had understandably felt safe letting her nephew in for tea.
“Sadly she could not have been more wrong,” he said.
He noted the accused has not expressed any “regret, apology or remorse” for the offence.
In her victim impact statement, the now 75-year-old woman outlined how she no longer trusts men or feels safe in her own home and felt ashamed to tell her family about the rape.
The accused man has a large number of previous convictions from the UK and has served significant time in prison.
Mr Justice Birmingham imposed a 14-year sentence for the rape and a concurrent three and a half years for the sexual assault.
Irish Independent
