Leitrim barber jailed for seven years for rape of woman in his home

Fiona Ferguson

A Leitrim barber has been jailed for seven years for the rape of a woman who was a guest in his home.

Dilzar Hamad (40) of Oaklands, Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim, was convicted by a jury last year of rape of the woman on a date in January or February 2021. He has no previous convictions.

The woman told the court in her victim impact statement that following the rape, she no longer feels safe. She said the offence and its aftermath have changed her life and the person she is forever.

She vividly described the damaging effects the offence had and continues to have on her life.

Hamad claims it was a consensual sexual encounter and not rape. He does not accept the verdict of the jury and gave evidence in his defence during his Central Criminal Court trial.

Passing sentence on Monday, Mr Justice David Keane said there had been an abuse of trust in this case and an element of cynical planning as evidenced by prior text messages to the victim.

He said the offence itself was an opportunistic one in the circumstance which arose on the day in question. He said there was an element of intimidation in Hamad’s threats that he would say she was the one who approached him and a subsequent message that she should not reveal what happened.

Mr Justice Keane set a headline sentence of nine years' imprisonment.

He noted that Hamad does not accept the verdict and continues to deny the offence. He said he has not demonstrated any remorse, made any apology, attempted to make any amends or embarked on any rehabilitation.

He said Hamad was entitled to credit for his good character prior to and since the rape, as well as limited credit for his co-operation with gardaí and complying with his bail conditions. He noted his good behaviour as a prisoner where he works as a barber, and he is undertaking educational courses.

The judge noted that a probation report places Hamad at low risk of re-offending in the long term, but dynamic risk factors place him at high risk of re-offending in the next 12 months if he were in the community.

The risk factors identified include his significant social influences, his hostility towards women, negative emotionality and a high sex drive and sexual preoccupation.

Mr Justice Keane imposed an eight-year sentence, taking into account the mitigating factors.

He said Hamad had an absolute entitlement to protest his innocence and pursue an appeal, but it followed from that stance that there was no reality to promoting rehabilitation and no logical basis to suspend any portion of the sentence.

He ordered two years post-release supervision with strict conditions in order to protect the public, limit the risk of him committing a further sexual offence and rehabilitate if possible.

Mr Justice Keane wished the injured party well in what he hoped was her continued recovery.

Detective Garda Lydia Cawley told Dominic McGinn SC, prosecuting, that prior to the rape, the woman had received a number of inappropriate texts from Hamad indicating a sexual interest in her. She responded to say that she did not want this and was warned by him not to tell anyone.

The woman was subsequently raped by Hamad in a downstairs toilet during a visit to his home. She had been attempting to leave the bathroom when Hamad appeared and pushed her back inside. He covered her mouth and told her not to scream.

The injured party was initially too afraid to say anything, but the matter came to light following further messages sent to her by Hamad. He had threatened her not to disclose what had happened.

Gardaí became aware of the allegations and Hamad was arrested in August 2021.

Hamad initially went on trial in March 2024, but the jury failed to reach a verdict. He was retried the following year and convicted in March 2025.

In her victim impact statement, the woman said she had been frightened, shocked and upset following the rape. She said she had wanted to hide somewhere no one could see her, as she felt so ashamed. She described how that time was very hard for her.

She said after the attack Hamad threatened her and said he would say it was all her fault.

She outlined to the court how she is not the same person that she was prior to the rape. She said Hamad has taken everything from her – including the life she had and her confidence

She said she does not feel safe anymore and feels so alone as she cannot talk about what happened.

The woman said that she feels she will never trust anyone ever again and is always afraid.

She said the offences have changed her life and the person she is forever.

Mr McGinn told the court the Director of Public Prosecution's view is that the case falls into the “more serious” band of cases with a headline sentence of 10 to 15 years.

He said factors included an element of premeditation with prior text messages to the injured party, that she was a guest in his home and that he continued contact after the offence.

The defence said the case falls into the standard sentence band with a starting point of seven years.

Colman Fitzgerald SC, defending, said Hamad does not accept the verdict of the jury. He is married with five children, and his wife was in court to support him at the sentence hearing.

Counsel submitted Hamad had led a pro-social life prior to this offence and was a good husband and father. His wife wrote a letter to the court in which she outlined the difficulties she is facing due to him being in custody and how good he was to his family.

Hamad came to Ireland with his family from the Kurdish part of Iraq and set up a barber shop in Carrick on Shannon where he employed four people. He no longer owns the barber shop as a result of going into custody in March 2025.

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.