Teen pleads guilty to raping stepmum in Kildare
Naas Courthouse
A TEENAGER who allegedly double raped his stepmother in their home just two weeks after he arrived in the country to improve his English was sent for trial in the Central Criminal Court last week – just two months after the alleged assault.
The 17-year-old appeared in Naas District Court from detention in Oberstown, where he has been on remand since the events of the night of 2-3 September to plead guilty to seven charges of rape and unlawful detention.
There was a brief hiatus in proceedings when the youth failed to plead to the latter charge, saying through his translator “she was free to leave at any time”, while he pleaded guilty to five rape charges, and one of assault causing harm (section 3). However, after a short adjournment and consultation with his solicitor David Powderly, the youth came back and eventually pleaded to the unlawful detention charge as well.
It is alleged that the youth committed the offences at the address in north Kildare on the night of 2 September, and was arrested shortly after midnight after neighbours in the apartment complex notified the authorities.
Detective Garda Wendy Cagney told the court that the injured party explained how both of them had been in their room after a day out in Dublin when she noted “he had a dark look in his eye”.
“She put on her coat to leave for a walk but the defendant blocked the door and refused to let her leave,” she said. “He pushed her on the ground on her knees, and began a number of assaults.
“He fondled her vagina, put his fingers in her vagina. He then put his penis in her anus, fondled her breasts and ejaculated on her back.
“The assaults took approximately one hour, and the victim managed to phone her husband. Other tenants heard the assault and phoned the guards.
“The guards arrived at 11pm and detained the defendant.
“He was then taken to [named] garda station where he made full admissions,” said DG Cagney.
Judge Zaidan accepted this summary of the evidence and formally sent the youth forward for trial to the current sittings of the Central Criminal Court, and signed for legal aid for a senior and junior barrister to assist Mr Powderley.
He noted that the alibi warning that he usually gives suspects being sent forward for trial in the superior courts was “of no relevance on account of the guilty pleas”, and added in conclusion: “I want to keep this translator, because without her we wouldn’t have made progress today.”
