Cork man jailed for rape approached victim after being released from nine-year term, court told

Bench warrant issued for arrest of defendant to have suspended one-year portion of his sentence activated

While defendant did not physically rape the woman himself, he was part of a joint enterprise by holding her down while his friend raped her. Picture: Larry Cummins

Days after being released at the end of nine years in jail for rape, a 32-year-old man breached a court order and approached the victim on the street, it was alleged on Monday as a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Detective Sergeant Katrine Tansley testified at the Central Criminal Court in Cork on Monday that Keith Ahern was released from prison on January 29 with the 10th year of a 10-year sentence suspended on conditions that required him to have no contact with the victim.

The detective said the victim alleged that on February 10 this year, Keith Ahern approached the young woman on a street in Cork City and there was CCTV to support the allegation.

Keith Ahern was living at Sawmill Lane, Sawmill Street, Cork, at the time of the rape in Cork City on a night in June 2013.

While he did not physically rape the woman himself, he was part of a joint enterprise by holding her down while his friend raped her. He pleaded not guilty to rape but a jury found him guilty.

Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy gave him a 10-year sentence in 2017, with the final year suspended.

The second man involved in the rape pleaded guilty to the offence but died in prison before sentencing.

The application for the bench warrant for Keith Ahern is to facilitate the State’s further application to have the suspended one-year portion of the sentence activated because of the alleged breach of conditions requiring him to have no contact with the victim. The defendant will have to be present in court for that to be done.