Galway murderer gets 10 years for rape

A Connemara man serving a life sentence for the murder of a schoolgirl has been further sentenced for her rape.

27-year-old John McDonagh of Carraroe, Co Galway, was sentenced to 10 years at the Central Criminal Court for the rape of Siobhan Hynes.

On June 17 last, after lengthy deliberations, the jury convicted McDonagh for her murder.

The 17-year-old's fully-clothed body was found on rocks beside a beach near Spiddal on December 7th 1998.

Today, John McDonagh sat between two prison officers, as his father watched close-by.

Members of the Hynes family were also present.

Counsel for McDonagh, Barry White SC, said his client maintains his innocence and they would be taking matters to the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Smyth said it was a brutal rape and the amount of pain inflicted on the teenager must have been intense.

He sentenced McDonagh to ten years to run concurrently with the life sentence.