A man was convicted last night of sexually assaulting a woman in his flat a short time after they met at a nightclub in Drogheda. Rory Condra was remanded on bail to March 27th. The jury in the Central Criminal Court found him not guilty of rape and oral rape of the woman during the same incident.
Condra (24), of Eagle Lodge, Leinster Road, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty during a fiveday trial to rape, oral rape and sexual assault of the victim, now 19, at a flat where he was staying at The Mall, North Quay, Drogheda on September 10th, 1995.
The jury took six hours to return its verdicts. Mr Justice Carney said two charges the man faced were next in order of gravity to murder.
He said evidence in the trial showed the Garda investigation had been left substantially in the hands of a probationary garda. But he was satisfied that the case's presentation did not suffer because of this.
Mr Justice Carney also told prosecution and defence counsel that he would require assistance in interpreting the jury verdict of sexual assault. Mr Barry White SC, defending, said the State had rejected his client's offer of a guilty plea to sexual assault before the trial. He said it was not the defence's role to interpret the jury's finding for the court.