Man accused of subjecting pregnant woman to lengthy rape ordeal
The trial has begun of a Clare man accused of subjecting his pregnant ex-girlfriend to a seven-hour ordeal during which he allegedly raped her in various ways and threatened to shoot her.
Ms Pauline Walley SC, prosecuting, told the jury that it would be the State’s case that the accused finally surrendered to gardaí after agreeing to exchange his shotgun for some cigarettes.
He was allegedly angry that the woman, who he already had a child with and was pregnant with their second, had been out drinking earlier that night.
The jury heard that he has already admitted to assaulting her, knocking out several of her teeth, but denied that he hit her with the gun.
He is also alleged to have raped her several times, including orally and anally and to have threatened to disfigure her with a knife.
The 44-year-old man, who is originally from England, pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three counts of rape, two counts of anal rape, two counts of oral rape and one count each of false imprisonment, threatening to kill by shooting, threatening to disfigure with a knife, aggravated burglary and possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life.
He pleaded guilty in December 2008 to assaulting the girl but denies hitting her with the gun. All the offences are alleged to have occurred at her Clare home on September 9, 2007.
Ms Walley told the jury in opening the case that they will hear that the woman was out celebrating that night and was seen by the accused.
The accused was very upset at seeing her out and went to his cousin’s home and stole his car, shotgun and ammunition before going to the woman's house.
She arrived home at around 2am and went to bed. Her children were staying in other people’s houses. Shortly afterwards she allegedly woke up to find the accused in her bedroom.
When the accused's cousin discovered his car and gun were gone he called gardaí. During the night the accused rang his cousin several times and talked to him. Gardaí were with his cousin and listened in on the phone calls but the accused was unaware of this.
Ms Walley said at one point his cousin asked where the gun was and the accused replied: “It's in my f***ing hand”.
At around 10am a garda sergeant identified himself over the phone to the accused.
Ms Walley said the jury would hear evidence that the accused agreed with the sergeant to put the gun in the back seat of the car outside in exchange for a pack of cigarettes.
The accused put the gun in the car and gardaí left cigarettes on a window ledge for him. Twenty minutes later he emerged from the house with the woman and was arrested under the Mental Health Act.
He was brought to hospital where he was kept for several days before being discharged and re-arrested. He admitted to gardaí he had hit the woman and said he had sex with her but that it was fully consensual.
Ms Walley told the jury that the accused and the woman had started seeing each other in 2004. She said it was a difficult relationship and there were frequent rows and break-ups. They had a child together during this time.
In 2007, they separated for the final time and he moved out of the house they were sharing. She was pregnant with their second child.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of seven women and five men.
