A MAN whose attempted rape of a Wexford woman left her so badly beaten her friends could not recognise her has been jailed for five years at the Central Criminal Court.
Emil Klinczyk (26), Main Street, Bunclody, was found guilty by a jury in July of attempted rape, sexual assault and assault causing harm to the woman in Wexford in July 2006. He was convicted on the eighth day of his trial and the jury deliberated for just under two hours.
Klinczyk, who was born in Poland, was stopped going through with the rape when several of the victim's friends walked by and one pulled him off her. Her face was so badly beaten they initially failed to recognise her.
Mr Justice Paul Butler sentenced him to five years for the attempted rape and four years each for the sexual assault and assault causing harm to run concurrently.
He also ordered Klinczyk's name to be added to the register of sex offenders.
Conor Devally SC, defending, said his client had an "unremarkable background". He came to Ireland six weeks before the assault. In Poland he was in the military and he had also worked as a welder and security guard.
He has one previous conviction in Ireland for attempting to solicit a prostitute which occurred while he was on bail for the attempted rape.
Mr Justice Butler said the evidence was "compelling" and called it "an appalling attempted rape". "It undoubtedly would have continued had the accused not been caught in the act," he said.
Klinczyk told Mr Devally that on the night of the incident he had gone alone to a pub where a fight had broken out. He was hit on the head when he went outside.
He told Mr Devally that two men had beaten him and kicked him before they removed his belt, put it around his neck and dragged him a distance by the belt. He said the next memory he had was of being in hospital.
During his trial he denied that he attacked or attempted to rape the woman saying: "I wouldn't do a thing like this." He said he was beaten up and that "everything was faked".
However the jury was shown a video recording of Klinczyk being interviewed by gardaí following the incident during which he admitted the attempted rape.
"I was told by the gardaí that if I plead guilty everything was going to finish in a positive way," he said. "I wasn't aware of what I was saying."