Man accused of rape, new strangulation offence and recording intimate images of woman
Tom Tuite
A man accused of rape, strangulation, and unlawfully recording intimate images of a woman in Dublin has been sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court.
The accused, who is in his 30s and cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody.
The offences are said to have occurred at a residential address in the north inner city on various dates in April.
The man is accused of raping the woman, an offence that could, on conviction, result in a life sentence.
He has also been charged under new laws brought in last year, creating a stand-alone offence of non-fatal strangulation, which carries a maximum 10-year sentence.
In that offence, it is alleged he, without lawful excuse, intentionally strangled the woman, causing her to believe that she was likely to be subject to strangulation during an assault.
Intimate images
Furthermore, gardaí charged him with recording intimate images without the woman's consent, which could seriously interfere with peace and privacy or cause alarm, distress or harm, contrary to the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act.
He appeared again at Cloverhill District Court when the investigating officer, Garda Sean Shields, served him with the prosecution's book of evidence.
At the request of the DPP, Judge Mark O'Connell granted a return for trial order transferring the case to the Central Criminal Court.
He granted legal aid to the defendant and warned him to notify the prosecution within two weeks if he intended to rely on an alibi.
Unless convicted, the defendant has automatic anonymity, as does the complainant, who maintains that right at all stages.
The charge for recording intimate images also provides reporting restrictions to protect the identity of the alleged victim.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
