A MAN convicted of sexually assaulting an 80 year old woman in her Co Kerry home was sentenced to a total of nine years' imprisonment at Tralee Circuit Court yesterday.
Michael O'Brien (21), unemployed, of St John's Park, Castleisland, Co Kerry, was on temporary release from Fort Mitchel Prison in Co Cork at the time of the offence.
He was sentenced to five years for sexually assaulting the woman in her home on October 5th, 1993; nine years for burglary of her home on the same date; nine years for robbery; and four years for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Sentencing O'Brien, Judge Kevin O'Higgins said that his crimes were of the utmost seriousness, as he had put an old woman through a "terrifying ordeal and a nasty and humiliating sexual assault".
O'Brien's victim spent six weeks in hospital following the attack. She was beaten around the head and body, suffering fractures of two ribs, grazing of the neck, abrasions to the forehead and genital bruising.
The court heard that O'Brien, who had been drinking and had taken an ecstasy tablet earlier in the day, broke in through the back door of the house on the night of October 5th after his victim refused to open the front door to him. He punched her to the ground and kicked her, breaking two of her ribs.