A man has been found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of raping and falsely imprisoning a woman after he burgled her west Dublin home.
Martin Dunne (46), Collins Drive, Finglas, Dublin, has been remanded in custody by Mr Justice Herbert for sentence on December 13th.
The jury had heard allegations that Dunne and his nephew were hired by the woman's estranged husband to "cut her up". It took nearly four hours to convict him unanimously on the false imprisonment and burglary charges and by a 10 to two majority for the rape.
Dunne had pleaded not guilty to committing the offences on August 24th, 2001. He is currently serving two years for burglary.
Mr Justice Herbert directed that Dunne's name be placed on the sex offenders' register and directed the preparation of a victim impact report for the sentence hearing. He excused the jurors from duty for the next 10 years.
Dunne declined to have a Probation and Welfare Service report prepared, saying he had "no faith in the probation services".
During the 12-day trial, Dunne claimed he was assaulted by prison officers and that his accommodation in Mountjoy prison was unacceptable. Mr Justice Herbert ordered that he be given an alternative cell and said the prison authorities would deal with the assault allegation.
Dunne also discharged his legal team on day eight and thereafter conducted his own defence. He requested a mistrial several times, but was told by Mr Justice Herbert that the trial would not be stopped.
He cited communication difficulties with his defence team, prejudice from the judge and his inability to find counsel to make his closing speech.
On day one of the trial, the victim told Mr Paul Coffey SC, prosecuting, that she was woken at 4 a.m when two men entered her bedroom wearing balaclavas and brandishing kitchen knives.
They pushed her face down on the bed, told her she would be stabbed if she screamed and tied her hands behind her back.
Under cross-examination, she told Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, that she had a "gut feeling" the attack had something to do with her husband as he had threatened to kill her if she remained in the former marital home in which the attack took place.
"I moved back into the house in May [ 2001] and was attacked in August, it was not a coincidence."