‘Sexsomnia’ rape accused had ‘full mental capacity’

A man who claims he was acting in his sleep when he allegedly raped his friend likely had full mental capacity at the time, an expert has said.

It is the defence case that, although the incident did occur, the man was suffering at the time from a condition known as ‘sexsomnia’ and this caused him to carry out sexual acts in his sleep.

The 29-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of raping the woman at an apartment in Dublin in the early hours of September 28, 2008.