Louth man accused of attacking two women

A Louth man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of raping a woman twice in his car and sexually assaulting another woman after giving them lifts home on a night out

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The 27-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, attempted rape and false imprisonment of one woman and sexual assault of another on September 16, 2007.

Ms Caroline Biggs SC, prosecuting, told the jury that it was the State’s case that the man attacked both women separately in the space of two hours.

She said they would hear evidence that he met the first woman in a chipper in a Louth town at around 2.30am on the night after she had left a nearby club.

Ms Biggs said that after talking to the man the woman, who had been out drinking with friends and family, accepted the offer of a lift home.

The woman fell asleep in the car and recalls “coming to” to find the accused on top of her, kissing her and putting his hands on her private parts.

Ms Biggs said the woman would testify that she told the man to stop. Eventually he did stop and he drove her home.

The man allegedly then drove back to the town where he had met the first woman and at about 4am he offered a lift home to a second woman.

Ms Biggs said on the drive home the accused drove the car into a laneway and the woman decided she was in danger and struggled to get out of the car.

The car was parked tight against the laneway wall on the passenger side and the alleged victim was trapped.

Ms Biggs said this woman would testify that she struggled and kicked inside the car and the accused told her to calm down.

She said the accused raped the second woman and asked her for oral sex which she agreed to because she was afraid.

He attempted to have anal sex with her but stopped when the alleged victim kept screaming, the court heard.

Ms Biggs said the accused then left her near her home where she was found in a “very

distressed state” by her boyfriend.

The jury was shown photographs taken by Detective Garda Sean Fitzpatrick of cracks on the windscreen of a car belonging to the accused.

Photographs of injuries suffered by the alleged victims were shown to the jury.

Det Gda Fitzpatrick said the injuries included bruising to the neck of the first woman and bruising to the back, chest area, arms, knees, ankle and foot of the second woman.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and a jury of six men and six women.