At Belfast Crown Court yesterday a jury convicted a man of twice raping a mother of three. However, sentence on Ronny Todd (25), from Grange Drive, Ballyclare, Co Antrim, was adjourned until next month by Mr Justice Higgins.
Todd was convicted by a majority of the jury of eight men and four women of the two charges of rape and one of indecent assault, which he had denied. On his arrest Todd initially claimed he never touched his 35 year old victim as he walked her home in the early hours of July 1st, 1994, but alleged the woman had agreed to have sex with him.
During the two week trial, his victim had told the court how Todd offered to walk her home from a local bar and tricked her into taking a "short cut" which brought them down a secluded laneway.
In the lane Todd raped her despite her pleas for mercy and then raped her a second time and indecently assaulted her as she tried to escape over a fence.