Man tells court alleged rape by farmer was like 'barbed wire hell'

David Raleigh

A man who has claimed he was raped twice by a married male farmer, said the alleged rapes were like being raped with “barbed wire”.

“It was like hell, like something burning you,” the man told the accused’s trial being held at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Limerick.

The complainant claimed he was anally raped by the accused on January 6th, 2011, and, on April 8th, 2019.

None of the parties involved in the proceedings can be identified for legal reasons.

The allegations surfaced in April 2019 after the complainant made a disclosure to his GP following the second alleged rape.

Prosecuting barrister, senior counsel Fionnuala O’Sullivan, told the jury that the accused “accepted that some sexual activity had occurred, but he denied rape and penal penetration of the (complainant’s) anus in 2011 and 2019”.

Under cross examination by the accused’s barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, the complainant agreed he remained in regular contact with the accused for eight years after the first alleged rape.

The complainant denied allegations by the accused that he asked him for money for sex, and that he grabbed the accused’s “crotch” a number of times.

The complainant described the accused’s accusations as “lies”, and claimed the accused had fondled his private parts prior to the rapes.

“I told him to stop, I didn't like it,” the complainant told the court.

The man alleged the accused removed both of their trousers and underpants before raping him.

When asked by Mr Nicholas “what did you do” while the accused was doing this, and the complainant replied, “I was just scared, I just froze.”

Mr Nicholas suggested the complainant had asked the accused for money for sex, that he had removed his own pants and underpants, and that the accused “pretended to go along with it”.

The complainant told the court this was “bulls**t”.

The complainant also refuted allegations made by the accused that he had “a knife” in his hand when he asked for sex and that the accused “was afraid you’d harm yourself”.

Mr Nicholas said the accused denied allegedly telling the complainant that he loved him and that he kissed the complainant’s testicles after raping him.

“He’s lying, he’s lying, he’s lying,” retorted the complainant, becoming emotional.

When asked by Mr Nicolas if he felt “sore”, during the alleged rapes, the complainant stated: “It was like barbed wire going up your, (pause), it was like hell, like something burning you”.

The complainant agreed with Mr Nicholas that he remained in regular contact with the accused over the years following the first alleged rape in 2011.

The complainant claimed the accused “threw” him on his bed before raping him in his home on January 6th, 2011.

The accused denies two counts of anal rape and one count of engaging in a sexual act with a protected person who lacked the capacity to consent to a sexual act.

The trial continues before a jury and Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring.