Jury finds man guilty of rape in field

The young man who claimed he was offered sex by a woman twice his age was convicted yesterday of falsely imprisoning her and then attempting rape and carrying out oral rape on her.

The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on three charges, namely false imprisonment, sexual assault and attempted rape.

The four women and eight men returned a majority 10-two guilty verdict on the charge of rape by inserting his penis in the woman’s mouth.

The rapist, who had been on trial since Feb 10 at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, was then remanded in custody by Mr Justice Paul Carney, who will sentence him on May 23.

When questioned by gardaí, the 25-year-old denied untoward contact of any kind with the woman. During the trial he did not give evidence but instructed senior counsel Blaise O’Carroll to say on his behalf that he and the victim walked into the field together, where they smoked and drank and that she offered him sex. He said he did not have intercourse with her in case she would get pregnant, but she had oral sex with him instead.

That was in stark contrast with the account given by the victim — and which the jury believed. She described leaving the off-licence and being followed out by the rapist who dragged her into a field and with the words: “You are not going nowhere. You are keeping me company tonight.”

“I said I am getting out of here and I’m calling the guards. I started screaming. He grabbed me back and pinned me down on the grass, so I was helpless. He forced himself down on top of me. He put his hand on my chin.”

The witness said he viciously pulled off her clothes. She felt greasiness on her stomach and didn’t know if it was sweat or semen. She said she managed to cross her legs tightly preventing him from entering her. She said he made comments to her and forced his penis into her mouth.