Cork mother who feared daughter would also be sexually assaulted struck intruder's head with a hurley

Judge says attack was 'terrifying in every possible respect'

The man was jailed last summer for over ten years for another sexual attack — a case that included a rape.

A West Cork woman who was being sexually attacked by an intruder at her home in the early hours of the morning feared what he would do to her teenaged daughter and when she got the chance she struck the attacker on the head with a hurley.

On Friday, six and a half years were added to a term he was already serving for another sex attack when he raped a woman.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said the victim was very brave to take on the attacker in the manner in which she did. She said the teenaged daughter also showed strength and resilience on the night by running out of her home to get help for her mother.

“This was a most terrifying incident — terrifying in every possible respect. The mother had huge fears about what would happen to her daughter. And the daughter had huge fears about what would happen to her mother,” the judge said.

Judge Lankford said it was a matter of concern that the accused man told the probation service that he never intended any sexual assault. He did say he accepted how frightening it would have been for the injured parties.

Prosecution senior counsel Marjorie Farrelly said there was no issue in identifying Christopher Ryan, aged 33, of 38 Fernhill Woods, Clonakilty, Co Cork as the defendant.

Ryan was on bail for a very similar offence when he carried out this attack. He was jailed last summer for over ten years for that other sexual attack — a case that included a rape. On Friday, Judge Lankford added six and a half years to that jail term. The total sentence was one of eight years, consecutive to what he was already serving, and with the last 18 months suspended.

Donal O’Sullivan defence senior counsel said that other than the case mentioned, the accused had no previous convictions of any real relevance prior to November 2023. He had a long-term relationship and was apologetic and remorseful. He had problems with drink and drugs.

Detective Garda Paul Cullen gave evidence of the attack on the woman and her daughter who were falsely imprisoned at their home during the attack at around 5am on January 12, 2025.

Victim impact reports

The devastating impact that this had on the 38-year-old and on her daughter was outlined in victim impact reports where the woman said it had affected every day of her life to the point where she has “very little faith left in humanity because you don’t know what anyone is capable of." 

She said that the devastating impact had been aggravated by hearing “horrible nasty rumours about victim-shaming” in her locality.

Her daughter, who was the injured party referred to in other charges of assault causing harm and false imprisonment, said that she found it so horrible to think about what happened on the night that, “I thought of taking my own life.” 

Det Garda Cullen of the West Cork Protective Services Unit said the mother and daughter had watched TV in a double bed and fallen asleep together after 11pm only to be woken by the intruder at around 5am.

“When (the woman) opened her eyes she saw a male in the room and she began to scream and kick her legs. During the struggle he digitally penetrated her vagina and anus, rubbing her vagina with his fingers and this lasted 20 to 30 seconds. She was fighting with him, looking for something to hit him with.

“She picked up a pint glass but this was dropped to the floor. She was punched on the side of the head. She thought he was going to rape her daughter. He held his foot to the door, preventing (the daughter) from escaping,” Det Garda Cullen said.

The teenager did manage to get out on to the stairs and the mother followed him, and picked up a hurley in the room. The male was on the second step of the stairs. She gave him a blow to the top of the head with the hurley and he fell. She then chased him from the house.

The teenager first got to the safety of a neighbour’s house, saying over and over, “Somebody help my mam.” 

When her mother emerged from the house she was hysterical and looking for her daughter. Gardaí found the accused man hiding in bushes and he was arrested.

Donal O’Sullivan senior counsel said the defendant pleaded guilty as early as he possibly could. “He is very remorseful and he wants me to express his deep remorse. He understands how terrible his actions were.”