Man threatened rape victim with IRA punishment, court hears

An Offaly man who forced a young woman to have sex with him three times a week by threatening her with sanctions from the IRA has been jailed for nine years by Mr Justice Paul Carney.

Adrian Mooney’s victim attempted suicide by drinking a cocktail of animal medicines from a pint glass.

Mooney (aged 30), of Glaskill, Screggan, Tullamore pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 11 sample charges of rape on dates in 2005-2006.

Mr Justice Carney directed that Mooney’s name be added to the register of sexual offenders and that he undergo five years post release supervision.

He said he regarded it "as an enormously aggravating factor" that Mooney not only threatened his victim that she and her family would face action from the IRA unless she had sex with him three times weekly but that if she missed any one occasion in a week it had she made to make it up.

Mr Justice Carney said he measured the case as meriting a 12-year sentence and discounted three years for mitigating factors, including his early guilty plea, the testimony offered on his behalf by neighbours and the fact that the Director of Public Prosecutions only contended for sentence "in the middle range".

Garda Ann McDonald told prosecuting counsel, Mr Remy Farrell BL, that Mooney rigorously enforced the "IRA rule" that the victim had to have sex with him three times a week or she and her family would be punished. If they missed out on any one of the occasions she would have to make it up the following week.

She had been staying in her room at this time crying a lot but wouldn’t tell anyone why but then confided in a friend and the matter came to light.

The victim’s family confronted her and she admitted it all, telling them that she had come to "believe the IRA thing was all bullshit" though she said she had believed it at first.

Gda McDonald told Mr Farrell that after the victim attempted to harm herself, Mooney begged her not to tell anyone about their sexual activity. Some days later he admonished her "not to try a stunt like that again".

When the victim began going-out with a boyfriend, Mooney told her he would have "to get IRA approval" for her to carry on with it. Later he told her he had "cleared it with the IRA" but it was on condition that she continued to have sex with him three times a week.

Gda McDonald said Mooney persuaded the victim that the IRA regarded any such failure "as a mistake that he would have to pay for out of his wages".

Gda McDonald said that Mooney at first claimed the victim owed him €4,000 for drugs and the sexual intercourse was to repay that.

Mooney then agreed with gardaí that he "spun her along with the IRA story" and that she had tried to commit suicide as a result of what he did to her. He had one previous conviction for theft of money from his employer for which he got a suspended sentence and a fine as well as paying €20,000 compensation.

Defence counsel, Mr Colm Smith SC (with Mr Willie Penrose BL), said Mooney had become infatuated with he victim and had created "an incredible web of deceit" by his "Walter Mitty type of imagination".

Mr Smith said Mooney had spent all his own savings on presents and weekends for the victim as well as taking her on a holiday to Spain. When his own money ran out he stole from his employer.

Mr Smith submitted that but for his guilty plea, the State could have found it difficult to establish Mooney’s guilt. He had co-operated with the gardaí and accepted the victim was under threats to her and her family.

Counsel said Mooney’s solicitor had written to the DPP stating he would plead guilty. "He is remorseful for his actions and his remorse will remain with him for many a year," Mr Smith added.