Laois man pleads guilty to rape
A Co Laois man who raped a female over a four year period will be sentenced in March at the Central Criminal Court.
The 74 year-old man pleaded guilty to 16 charges of raping the female on various dates from 1977 to 1981 and to one charge of indecently assaulting her on a date between May 1976 and 1977 in a shed.
Mr Justice Paul Carney directed that he be registered as a sex offender according to law and remanded him on continuing bail for sentence.
Mr Justice Carney noted that prosecuting counsel, Ms Rosario Boyle SC (with Ms Martina Baxter BL), had no objections to bail and that the State was taking responsibility for the matter.
Defence counsel, Mr John Peart SC, told Mr Justice Carney that he had given "reassurances" to the prosecution on the matter of his client being remanded on bail.
Mr Justice Carney also directed the preparation of a victim impact statement and a probation report for the sentence hearing.
