Man who raped one woman and sexually assaulted another on the same night in Cork house jailed 

A man who raped one woman and sexually assaulted another on the same night 10 years ago has received a seven-year prison sentence.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Luca Fox, 30, was extremely drunk on the night and had assaulted both women in their beds as they attempted to sleep.

One woman told the court: “This made me become a fearful shell of myself.” She described the devastating impact the rapes have had on her health, life, and relationships.

She outlined how she had sympathy for Fox at the time and had not wanted to ruin a young person’s life. “I ended up sacrificing mine, instead,” she said.

Fox, with an address at Alfonso St, Madrid, Spain, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of one woman and was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape of another woman at a house in Co Cork on October 21, 2015.

All parties were 20 years old at the time. He has no previous convictions.

The women both wish to retain their anonymity, but have no issue with Fox being identified. Fox has accepted the verdict of the jury and issued an apology to both women through his counsel.

Passing the sentence on Thursday, Ms Justice Melanie Greally said Fox’s multiplicity of offending was an aggravating factor and that these incidents happened in a place that should have been safe for both women.

Probation report

The judge noted that the probation report identified a correlation between Fox’s harmful behaviour and his addiction issues, and that he is placed at average-to-moderate risk of reoffending.

It also stated that he demonstrated insight and remorse for the lasting effects of his behaviour on the two women, the judge added.

She said she had considered the mitigation, including Fox’s background and family support, his youth at the time, addiction, and mental health difficulties and his efforts to address these.

She imposed a sentence of seven years in relation to the rape offences and handed down a concurrent two-and-a-half-year sentence on the sexual assault.

She backdated the sentences to November 25 last, when Fox went into custody.

Noting that Fox is resident in Spain, the length of time elapsed since these offences, and his efforts to address his issues, the judge said she would not impose a post-release supervision order.

The court heard a second woman was also sexually assaulted by Fox in her bed as she was trying to sleep.

Formal complaint

A formal complaint was made in 2021, and Fox was interviewed in Spain, where he was living in 2023.

He maintained that the first woman gave an understanding that one act had been consensual and said she could have asked for help or said no.

In relation to the second woman, he initially did not know who she was. He later said he had spooned her and when she told him to get off, he did.