Man who attacked elderly woman in her home given 14-year sentence

A young man who viciously assaulted an 85-year-old lady and removed her underwear after breaking into her home has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by Judge Tony Hunt.

Des Rogers (aged 24) of Dunard Road, Blackhorse Avenue, Cabra returned to the scene several hours after the attack and wiped down surfaces in his victim’s home as she lay bleeding on her bedroom floor.

He claimed he then called an ambulance for the elderly lady, who suffered seven fractures to her face, permanently impaired vision and missing teeth.

Rogers pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to aggravated burglary and sexual assault on June 24, 2008.

He also pleaded to guilty to a burglary in November 4, 2006 where he broke into his sister’s ex-boyfriend’s home and beat him with a hammer. The girl had alleged that the victim had sent her sexually harassing text messages.

Judge Hunt sentenced Rogers to two years in prison for the 2006 burglary and a consecutive 12 year term for the aggravated burglary and sexual assault. He suspended the last three years of the sentence on strict conditions.

Detective Garda Liam McLoughlin agreed with defence counsel, Mr Paul Burns SC, that his client claimed he could not remember removing the lady’s underwear during the attack because he had taken drugs and alcohol and added that he had not planned anything sexual.

Rogers told gardaí he burnt his top and put his jeans and socks in the bath when he returned home after the attack to sleep.

He claimed he realised his "big mistake" when he woke up and then returned to his victim’s house to clean up the evidence.

Det Gda McLoughlin told Ms Martina Baxter, prosecuting, that Rogers’s elderly victim had thought her attacker was trying to rape her because he removed her underwear and did not look for money. She said the man had jumped on her bed after she woke up to find him in the room and hit her in the face with both fists.

He said a neighbour eventually found the elderly lady on the floor with her face and hair covered in blood. He said there a large pool of blood on the floor and bedside locker and blood splashes on the headboard and wall.

Det Gda McLoughlin said Rogers’s victim suffered long-term damage to her right eye, had to have her remaining teeth extracted and has ongoing pain from bone and nerve damage in her cheek. He added that there was €300 bloodstain damage to the lady’s house.

Rogers, who has 19 previous convictions and was on bail for a November 4, 2006 assault at the time, told gardaí he rang emergency services once he had wiped the wall, floor, window and door.

Det Gda McLoughlin said the lady lost consciousness after the assault and when she woke up, her attacker had gone.

She told gardaí she lay on the floor beside her bed until daylight, when the Rogers returned to wipe down the door with a cloth. She said she asked him who he was but he didn’t respond.

Gardaí matched Rogers’s fingerprints to marks lifted from the window and arrested the father-of-one later that evening.

Rogers told gardaí he was a heavy drinker and had "uncontrollable anger" when he was drunk. He said he was sorry for what he had done.