A Belfast man has been jailed for seven years at the Central Criminal Court for raping a Cork woman in her home as her children slept upstairs.
Micheal John McCann (30), from Glen Road, Belfast, was arrested in the victim's house shortly after raping her when she secretly called the gardaí on her mobile phone which she had hidden in the sleeve of her cardigan.
Mr Justice Iarflaith O'Neill said it was a "despicable crime in despicable circumstances". McCann and his accomplice had intended having sexual relations with the woman "from the word go".
Mr Justice O'Neill said it was hard to believe that anyone would have maintained the intercourse was consensual in the face of the woman's cries and entreaties. He noted from the victim-impact report that she might be permanently affected by the assault.
He said it was hard to find mitigating circumstances in this case but took into account McCann's lack of previous convictions for sexual assault and the support of his wife and family.
Mr Justice O'Neill certified McCann as a sex offender and backdated the sentence to June 24th, 2001, when he was taken into custody.
McCann was convicted by unanimous guilty verdicts after a five-day trial on one charge each that he raped and sexually assaulted the 35-year-old single mother in her home on June 23rd, 2001.
The court heard the victim did not scream or call out during the attack because she knew the first people that would reach her would be her children and she did not want them to see what was happening. She also did not try to leave the house as she did not want to leave them alone.