A convicted rapist has been jailed for 14 years for falsely imprisoning a student whom he intended to rape. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Thomas Vaughan (25), from Thomastown, Kilfinane, Co Limerick told gardai he had stalked his victim last October 11th, with the intention of raping her.
Judge Cyril Kelly was told Vaughan had recently been released after serving four-and-a-half years of a six-year sentence for a similar offence in December 1991 in Co Cork.
Ms Maureen Clark SC, prosecuting, said the case had "disturbing and unusual circumstances" - so she had arranged for the court to hear evidence of Vaughan's earlier offence.
Mr Raymond Farrell, defending, said Vaughan accepted he needed treatment or he would reoffend. He left school at 16 and had been in prison since he was 19, apart from one month.
Vaughan passed the Leaving Certificate in prison and was now doing an Open University course. Mr Farrell said Vaughan received treatment only during 11 months in Arbour Hill, "and none for the next three years in Wheatfield Prison. Without treatment he will come out of prison with the same problem."
Ms Clark said the young woman was then a working student who walked to work before dawn. She became aware of being followed from Grafton Street. Vaughan ran after her, grabbed her and hit her head with a bottle.
She feigned unconsciousness, thinking he wanted to take her handbag, but he straddled her, pulled at her clothes and hit her, telling her he would kill her if she didn't stop screaming.
Sgt John Kelly told Ms Clark he was with a colleague in an unmarked patrol car when they heard the screams and caught Vaughan in the act.
Earlier, Sgt John Cook said Vaughan pulled a young woman into a wood at knifepoint on Christmas Eve in 1991 and sexually assaulted her. He threatened to kill her if she didn't stop screaming. She was found half-naked and shocked on the road.
Judge Kelly said the psychological report on Vaughan showed he had normal intelligence with no fantasy life. "He admitted to gardai he was a danger to society and I concur with that," said Judge Kelly. There was no evidence to indicate "that this was anything other than a premeditated, deliberate offence", Judge Kelly added.
He imposed three-year sentences on each assault charge, with 14 years on the abduction charge, to run concurrently. Leave to appeal was refused.