Kerry rapist has sentence extended

A Kerry rapist currently serving an eight-year sentence has been jailed for an additional seven years for attempted rape by Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins at the Central Criminal Court.

James Cronin (aged 24) of Freemount, Rathmore was convicted on December 20 last of the attempted rape of a teenage girl he met in a Killarney disco and with assault with intent to rape her on Christmas Eve 2004.

He was found not guilty by the jury of threatening to kill the teenager on the same date and location. The jury's decisions came following just over two hours of deliberation on day-seven of the trial.

Cronin denied in evidence that he attempted to rape the girl and claimed the victim had "changed her mind" after asking him if he had a condom while they were "kissing and cuddling".

Mr Justice O'Higgins said that not only was Cronin found guilty by a jury of a very serious offence for which he had been not shown any expression of remorse but a report before the court indicated he presented a continuing risk to society.

Mr Justice O'Higgins noted that Cronin's current sentence was due to expire in 2012 and directed that the seven-year term for the attempted rape was to commence when he finished that sentence. He also directed that Cronin undergo seven years post release supervision.

He said Cronin had committed "a totally unwarranted and very nasty assault on a young girl" and that were it not for the brave intervention of man who answered her distress call she might have been raped by him.

Mr Justice O'Higgins said the victim showed very brave courage and had been caused huge distress and difficulties but had made good recovery with help of friends and family.

This crime was more serious due to Cronin's previous conviction and while he took into account everything advanced "so eloquently" by defence counsel, Mr Michael Bowman BL, and had to be conscious of the extraordinary distress he caused to his victim and to his own family, the sentence had to consecutive.

Cronin is serving an eight-year sentence imposed on May 26 last year by Mr Justice Henry Abbott for kidnapping and raping another woman he also met outside a Killarney disco in the early hours of the morning of October 31, 2004.

He was found guilty by a jury in March 2006 following just over 30 minutes deliberation on day-12 of the trial of falsely imprisoning and raping the 27-year-old woman in that case in his van in a Killarney car park.

Mr Bowman noted Cronin was now approaching his 25th birthday and medical report on Cronin indicated a lack of insight arising out of alcohol and drug abuse.

Mr Bowman said his convictions had caused stresses within the family who had been affected by the stigma attached to these crimes in a small close-knit community and appealed for a suspension of portion of the sentence which the court had to impose.

Inspector Dan Keane agreed with Mr John Aylmer SC (with Mr Tom Rice BL), prosecuting, that the victim told the jury she left the disco with Cronin and they walked through the town before entering a cul de sac.

She agreed they kissed for a while but said he then put his hands down her top at which point she asked him to stop and punched him in the chest telling him "to get him away from me".

She said this made him "cross and angry" and he knocked her to the ground where she landed on her knees. He then pulled her jeans and pants down while she shouted "leave me alone", turned her around so that she was sitting and caught her by the throat, pushing her down on the ground on her back.

Cronin then put his legs on either side of her and pulled down his own pants and underwear. She said he was trying to open her legs but she kept them together. He was holding her right hand but she was hitting out with her left hand and shouting.

She agreed she then heard a man come up and say "leave her alone". Cronin jumped up and fixed his clothes before the man caught him by the chest and pushed him up against a car. The man told her to "get away" and she left the area.

She said she met a girl shortly after who arranged a taxi home for her. On her return home she raised the alarm with another friend and relative who subsequently told her father what had happened.

She said her father alerted the gardaí and she spoke to a female garda at the station telling her what happened. She agreed she was also examined by a doctor the same day where she complained of some "marks and bruises" including "redness on her neck".

Several residents of the laneway also gave evidence saying they had heard a commotion on the night with a girl shouting for help.

Inspector Keane said Cronin's parents were gatekeepers on CIE line Mallow-Tralee line. Cronin worked for some time in England until he returned in 2004 and took up job with local company which he later lost.