Attacker struck months after rape term

A convicted rapist who had been released months earlier followed a student home and caught her around the neck, causing her such terror that she no longer felt safe to live in Cork.

Detective Garda Andy O’Connell, said the neck injuries were similar to those suffered by a woman who was raped by the man eight years earlier.

Paul Buckley, aged 40, of 23 Baker’s Rd, Gurranabraher, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of assault causing harm to a 21-year-old student at a house on Gillabbey St, Cork, on Apr 23, 2010.

Judge Patrick J Moran jailed him for five years, with 18 months suspended.

The victim was not in court yesterday, but said through Det O’Connell that she was so terrified she had moved out of Cork, where she no longer felt safe.

The victim walked home alone at about 11pm and opened the front door of her rented house. Buckley pushed the door in as she was closing it and he grabbed her by the throat. He knocked her mobile phone out of her hand and she screamed for help.

“In the course of this attack, he called her a bitch and a whore,” said Det O’Connell. “The accused then released his grip on the injured party’s neck and ran from the scene.”

Buckley’s fingerprints were found at the scene, and CCTV showed him following her closely. At first, he denied all knowledge of the incident but later pleaded guilty. Det O’Connell said the assault was sexually motivated. The probation officer said Buckley lacked empathy with his victim, saying it only lasted a few minutes.

Buckley said yesterday: “Under no circumstances was it a sexually motivated offence. I apologise to her. I do have empathy. I disagree with the probation officer. There is no way I said it only happened for a few minutes, I did not say that.

“I am deeply sorry for what happened to her. No person should be attacked by anyone no matter what. This has been a total wake-up call for me.”

Donal O’Sullivan, defending, said Buckley felt it was stupid of the victim to walk home drunk. Buckley said: “The intention was to say: ‘Look, mind yourself’, but there is a rage and, in the end, I became the hurter instead of the protector.”

Judge Moran noted the different views on whether the assault was sexually motivated and whether there empathy and said he accepted the views of Det O’Connell and the probation officer over Buckley’s.

Judge Moran said: “I am very concerned [the victim] could have suffered the same fate as the previous rape victim. I am very concerned about that. And the probation service says you are a high risk of re-offending.”

Buckley was convicted of rape and assault causing harm in Oct 2005, sentenced to seven years, and released in the autumn of 2009, about seven months before the attack on the woman at Gillabbey St.