Lithuanian gets six years for Galway rape
A Lithuanian has been jailed for six years for the oral rape of a German woman in Galway city almost four years ago.
Darius Savickis, (aged 39) of Garran Ard, Doughiska, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the oral rape of the then 23-year-old woman on November 28, 2005.
A bench warrant was issued for Savickis' arrest last July after he failed to appear for his trial. He was remanded in custody after was brought back to Ireland on foot of an European arrest warrant when gardaí discovered he had absconded to Scotland. He later changed his plea to guilty.
The court had heard that the victim was on her way home from work when she was grabbed from behind, knocked to the ground and subjected to the attack.
DNA was later extracted from semen stains found on the hood of the woman's jacket. Gardaí identified Savickis as the culprit after his DNA profile was circulated to the English police and matched a profile on their database.
The court heard the victim was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She got married in 2007 and has since left Ireland.
Defence counsel, Ms Isobel Kennedy SC, told Mr Justice Carney that her client had a serious amount of alcohol taken on that night but he is insisting that this not be used as an excuse for his behaviour that night. She said that he deeply regrets the trauma he has caused his victim.
She told Mr Justice Carney that her client accepts the DNA evidence in the case but has no recollection of the offence.
Mr Justice Paul Carney said he took into account Savickis' guilty plea and the fact that he will face particular difficulties in jail as a foreign national.
