A 20-year old east Clare man has appeared in court charged in connection with the rape, false imprisonment, sexual assault and non-fatal strangulation of a female in July 2024.
At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis today, the man appeared in connection with nine charges including four counts of rape against the female at his home on a date between July 19th/20th 2024.
Sgt Frank O’Grady told Judge Alec Gabbett that the DPP has directed that the case is to go forward to the Central Criminal Court and a Book of Evidence is required.
In the case, the man is charged with four counts rape of the female, including one count in the living room and and a second count in the bathroom of his home address on a date between July 19th/July 20th 2024.
The man is also charged with the false imprisonment of the female in the bathroom of the home contrary to Section 15 of the Non Fatal Offences Against The Person Act 1997 on a date between July 19th/20th 2024.
The man is also charged with two counts of subjecting the female to non fatal strangulation or non-fatal suffocation in the bathroom and living room of the home contrary to Section 3A of the Non Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997.
The man is also charged with the sexual assault of the female in the living room and bathroom of the home on July 19th/20th 2024.
The man, speaking from the custody suite in court today, told Judge Gabbett he has spent the last week and a half on remand in custody in prison and the man today secured bail after signing a bail bond.
As part of the man’s bail conditions, he has already surrounded his passport, provided his own bond of €500 and his father has provided an independent surety of €5,000.
The man is to also have no contact with a number of persons and the man told the court today that he only knows one person on the list provided.
After the man told Judge Gabbett that he has spent a week and a half in prison, Judge Gabbett said: “You understand what prison is like? Bail is a privilege. You are entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and you are entitled to your trial.
“You have to comply with the bail conditions. If you don’t turn up for court, you lose the €500 and your father loses the €5,000.”
The man’s father was in court for today’s proceedings.
The man – who was first brought before a vacation court sitting on December 30th concerning the charges – must also sign on three days a week at his local Garda station.
Judge Gabbett told the man that if he leaves the jurisdiction he will be subject to an international arrest warrant and will be brought back.
Judge Gabbett granted legal aid for solicitor, Daragh Hassett to represent the accused and remanded the man on bail to appear at Ennis District Court on February 18th for the serving of the Book of Evidence.
