Courts / Dublin / Report

Woman says discovery that husband was abusing her while she was unconscious was like 'bomb went off'

Date
2023-12-19
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman whose husband of 20 years repeatedly raped her with household objects while she was unconscious revealed her shock upon discovering "perverse, indecent, hideous images" of the assaults on his home computer. She described the moment as "like a bomb went off in my head" and said the abuse had altered her past, present and future. The 49‑year‑old man was found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault, including penetration with a knife, cheese grater, bottle, carrot, banana, cucumber, tulip, wooden spatula, decanter stopper, part of a shoe and bicycle pump, between January 2005 and September 2014. The verdict followed a retrial after the first jury returned not‑guilty on four counts and could not agree on the rest. The woman, now 50, was unconscious and unable to consent during the assaults. She had a drinking problem and was on medication for depression.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Woman says discovery that husband was abusing her while she was unconscious was like 'bomb went off'. Charges or matters: the offences earlier this month. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

Case subjects

Unnamed 50-year-old

Defendant

Charges: the offences earlier this month (Proven)

Finding: Convicted

Outcome: Convicted; The woman said the moment she discovered "perverse, indecent, hideous images" on her husband's home computer of him raping her with various implements, "it was like a bomb went off in my head". "He changed my past, my present and my future," she said in her victim impact statement, which was read out at the man's Central Criminal Court sentence hearing today.; Mr Justice Paul Burns remanded the man in continuing custody and set a sentence date of January 15 next year.

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • Central Criminal Court
Secondary Mention

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Related court reports

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