A married man of 35 who raped a German woman in Dublin has been jailed for seven years by the Central Criminal Court. John Henry, a father of four, of Beechpark Avenue, Coolock, pleaded guilty to raping her on June 17th, 1999.
Mr Justice Carney said he felt extreme sympathy for the courier's wife of six years, who was in court but had only learnt a few hours earlier that her husband had pleaded guilty to rape.
But the judge said he could not ignore the "extremely violent nature" of the crime. He suspended the last 21 months.
The 27-year-old victim told the court the experience had been "everyone's worst nightmare". She had felt degraded and humiliated. She feared for her life as he "stabbed" her continuously on her neck with what she thought was a knife. "I could see myself lying there, dead," she said.
Ms Marie Torrens, defending, said Henry's children were aged between 11 and two and did not know their father was going to prison immediately. She said Henry wanted to convey his apologies to the woman. He had been working as a motorcycle courier and delivery driver for a takeaway restaurant until April this year.
Det Insp Sherry said the victim had been returning home early on the morning of July 17th, 1999, when she was attacked. She had noticed a man on a motorcycle and had noted details about him which later helped gardai catch Henry. Further along the way, shortly before a DART station, he reappeared from a clearing in the bushes. He dragged her in, holding a screwdriver to her neck. She thought it was a knife.
Gardai issued a photofit and Henry was arrested. DNA tests confirmed he had raped the woman. Det Insp Sherry said Henry told gardai he could not explain why he had done what he did, but said he had a fight with his wife earlier that evening.