A Longford teenager who beat a then 13-year-old girl "to pulp" and viciously raped her after she blacked out from his attempts to strangle her has been given nine years' detention.
Michael McDonagh (16), St Mel's Road, Longford, told his victim it was "the best Valentine's night" he ever had. He had absconded earlier from two St Michael's House care workers. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to two charges of rape and oral rape of the girl at Red Island, Skerries, on February 14th, 2004.
The victim was found by her concerned friends after her ordeal, bloodied with facial and lip bruises.
Her mother told Mr Justice Paul Carney that she blamed herself for bringing her daughter into Skerries that night because she would not be allowed walk to or from her home to the town. She arranged to meet her at 11.30pm but became concerned when she could not contact her on her mobile phone approaching that time.
"The picture of how she appeared when I next saw her is in my mind everyday of my life since," she told Mr Justice Carney.
Det Sgt Patrick Marry told senior counsel Michael O'Higgins, prosecuting, that McDonagh told the victim his name was "James" and he was from Longford.
Shortly after moving off with the victim he put his arm around her and told her he was going to kill her but she took it as a joke. Det Sgt Marry said that when they got to a particular place he pushed her to the ground where he kicked her in the head seven times. He then put such pressure on her throat that she blacked out.
She eventually came to and found him on top of her. He pulled off her upper clothes and committed various sexual acts.
Det Sgt Marry said McDonagh later told gardaí he had absconded and wanted a lift back to St Michael's House.
Mr Justice Carney said he got the impression from the reports before him that he was expected to accept that everything was all right.
"I don't see it that way. This was a very adult crime carried out with adult viciousness," he said. McDonagh had shown "cunning and deviousness" when he absconded and then joined a group of young people to become involved with the girl.
"He had his way with her by beating her to a pulp and then strangled her to the point where she became unconscious and so reduced her to the situation where her mother hardly recognised her."
He said the only factor he could find in his favour was his guilty plea. He suspended the final year of the sentence.
Mr Justice Carney certified him as a sex offender and placed him under five years' post-release supervision after noting that his own expert believed he was still a danger to the community.