A man who raped a woman he knew after collecting her from the hospital in the early morning hours following a fall during a night out has been sentenced to ten years in prison, reports RTE.
Padraic Troy, aged 29, was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court last year of two counts of rape, one count of anal rape, and two counts of sexual assault against the woman in 2021.
Troy, who resides at Golden Gardens, Dundrum, Co Tipperary, has 20 prior convictions, which include theft, assault, public order offences, and traffic violations, reports RTE.
During the trial, the court was informed that the woman wished for Troy’s name to be made public, while still maintaining her own anonymity.
Delivering the sentence, Ms Justice Melanie Greally highlighted several aggravating factors, including the number of separate assaults, the physical violence involved, the “elements of degradation and depravity” in the attacks, and the lasting impact on the victim, reports RTE.
She also remarked on the victim’s vulnerability at the time and how she had placed her trust in Troy to support her.
After reviewing mitigating factors and Troy’s background, Ms Justice Greally imposed a ten-year prison sentence, with time already served being taken into account, reports RTE.
She also ordered a one-year period of supervision after Troy’s release.
The judge extended her best wishes to the victim and expressed the court’s hope for her ongoing healing.
A garda involved in the investigation told Lorcan Connolly SC, for the prosecution, that the woman had been out socialising that night when she fell and was transported to hospital by ambulance, reports RTE.
While in hospital, she contacted several people, including Troy, who arrived at 3.24am. She left with him and another man.
While in the car with them, Troy committed the first sexual assault by kissing her. The woman said she was disgusted and made it clear she wanted to go home, reports RTE.
According to the garda, they eventually reached the woman’s residence, and she was helped inside. The second man departed, leaving her alone with Troy.
Troy then raped and sexually assaulted her in her bedroom, reports RTE.
The next day, she sought help and reported the assault to the gardaí. She was examined at a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, where Troy’s DNA was found in her underwear.
When questioned by gardaí, Troy claimed he had heard rumors that he had assaulted the woman and insisted their sexual contact was consensual.
In her victim impact statement, the woman told the court that the night of the assault changed her life permanently. She said she had lost four years of her life, reports RTE.
She described struggling to maintain employment, experiencing severe anxiety, difficulty trusting others, and strained relationships with loved ones.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” she said. “He destroyed my life,” reports RTE.
She said she could not forgive Troy and believed he thought he would never be held accountable.
“He knew what he was doing when he raped me,” she said, reports RTE.
She said the past four years had been “hell,” and the time leading up to the trial had been particularly painful.
“I don’t have words for the pain and suffering this has caused,” she said, reports RTE.
The garda confirmed to Mark Nicholas SC, representing the defence, that Troy continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Nicholas argued that the woman had initiated the call to Troy that night and that there was no evidence his client had preplanned the events, reports RTE.
He told the court that Troy has a young family and a history of employment. He added that Troy has behaved well while in custody and has not received any disciplinary sanctions.
Although the court had ordered a probation report, it was noted that Troy refused to engage with the Probation Service.
A psychological assessment was submitted to the court on his behalf, reports RTE.
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