A Wicklow man who raped and threatened to kill a woman he followed from a bus stop in Bray has been jailed for six years by Mr Justice Carney at the Central Criminal Court. The judge also certified the defendant as a sex offender and ordered post-release supervision for five years.
Stephen Flanagan told the woman, who had been married for 19 years at the time: "Your husband will be sickened when he knows what I have done to you, won't he?"
Mr Justice Carney said the court had heard what he described as "a classic jumping out of the bushes rape".
Flanagan (26), of Killian's Crescent, Bray, pleaded guilty to orally raping the woman, attempting to rape her, and to falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill her on August 31st, 2000, on School Road, off Boghall Road.
Det Sgt Michael Gaffney told prosecuting counsel Mr Hugo Hynes BL that Flanagan attacked the victim at around 10.30 p.m. just after she got off a bus from Dublin and was passing by some bushes.
He grabbed her, boxed her on the face, banged her head on the ground and held her head in this position as he attempted to rape her. Flanagan failed, became angry and bit both her breasts so hard she was bleeding.
Det Sgt Gaffney said Flanagan then attempted to perform oral sex on her but failed at this too.
Before leaving her he said to her: "Don't turn around. You have never seen me.
"If you say anything about me I will kill you and your family. I know where you live."
Mr Justice Carney suspended the last 18 months of the sentence in view of Flanagan's guilty plea.