(Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan)

A man who raped his victim for five hours after breaking into her house armed with a hatchet has been jailed for seven years at the Central Criminal Court. The Cork man forced his way into the home of his ex-girlfriend and threatened to kill her by driving them both into the sea. He also cut her off her hair with a scissors because she was not performing sexual acts to his liking.

At a sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan was told the case is deemed by the DPP to “be at the higher end of the scale”. Blaise O’Carroll, defending, said his client wants to apologise to the victim but is too shy to do it himself. Counsel said the man was “very much in love” with the woman and they had great times together. He said he was “absolutely shattered and destroyed when the relationship ended”.

Hatchet-wielding rapist jailed for seven years (Conor Gallagher, Irish Examiner)

Albert Gonzalez/Photocall Ireland