Mayo man jailed for falsely imprisoning and attacking former girlfriend

A Mayo man who was acquitted of raping his ex-girlfriend has been sentenced to four years for falsely imprisoning and assaulting her.

The 29-year-old man had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape and sexual assault of the woman in Co Mayo on January 9 and January 10, 2009.

He had also denied a charge of false imprisonment and two charges of assault causing harm to the woman and on the same dates. After a nine-day trial the jury found him guilty of these charges but not guilty of the rape and sexual assault.

The victim, who was 18 at the time, said the man came to her house in and locked her in a room before raping her. She said he punched her, flung her against the bedroom wall and tried to strangle her.

The man told gardaí that the sex was consensual and that she had fallen off a bed during a row.

In a victim impact statement read to the court before sentencing, the now 22-year-old victim said she is seeing a counsellor as a result of the attacks.

She said at one stage she was so low she wouldn’t leave her home and that she is terrified when someone touches her. She said the man approached her at her place of work after the incident.

Garda John O’Connor told prosecuting counsel Conor Devally SC the victim had been struck in her head and face and thrown against a wall or a headboard of a bed.

She was left with bruises to her face and head and a swollen eye and face. She also had bruising on her arms and neck.

Mícheál O’Higgins SC, defending, said his client was extremely remorseful for his actions on the night and regretted causing the victim injury.

The court heard he has 27 previous convictions including drug possession, possession of knives and road traffic offences. A Mayo garda told the court he has not worked in years.

Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan imposed an overall sentence of four years but suspended that the last two.