Tipperary man jailed for 10 years for rape of woman after collecting her from hospital

Fiona Ferguson

A man who raped a female acquaintance after picking her up from hospital in the early hours of the morning after she fell during a night out has been jailed for 10 years.

Padraic Troy (29) was convicted following a trial at the Central Criminal Court late last year of two counts of rape, anal rape and two sexual assaults of the woman in 2021.

Troy of Golden Gardens, Dundrum Co. Tipperary has 20 previous convictions, including theft, assault, public order and road traffic offences.

The court heard the victim wishes for Troy to be named, but to maintain her anonymity.

ing the sentence, Ms Justice Melanie Greally said the multiplicity of “distinct violations”, the degree of physical force used, the “elements of degradation and depravity” involved in the offending and the impact on the victim were among the aggravating factors.

She noted that the victim was also vulnerable at the time and had trusted Troy to help her.

Having considered the mitigation and Troy's personal circumstances, Ms Justice Greally imposed a ten-year prison sentence, backdated to when Troy went into custody.

The judge also imposed a one-year post-release supervision order on Troy.

Ms Justice Greally wished the victim well for the future and expressed the court's hope that her recovery from this experience would continue.

An investigating garda told Lorcan Connolly SC, prosecuting, that the woman was out socialising that night. She fell and was conveyed to the hospital by ambulance.

While at the hospital, she rang several people, including Troy, for assistance. Troy came to the hospital at 3.24am, and she left in his company and another man.

She got into a car with the men, and the first sexual assault by Troy occurred in the car when he began kissing her. The woman felt disgusted and was impressing on him during the journey that she wanted to go home.

The garda said they ultimately arrived at the woman’s home, and she was assisted inside. The second man left, leaving her alone with Troy.

The woman was raped, anally raped and sexually assaulted by Troy in her bedroom.

The following day, she sought assistance and reported what had happened to gardaí. She was examined at a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit. A DNA profile matching Troy was found inside her underwear.

Troy told gardaí that he had heard rumours going around that he had assaulted her. He told gardaí they had consensual sex.

The woman told the court in her victim impact statement that her life changed forever after that night. She said she had lost four years of her life.

She said she was unable to hold down a job, felt anxious, suffered trust issues, and it had taken a toll on her relationships with family and friends.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” she said. “He destroyed my life.”

She said she would not forgive Troy, and she believes he thought he would get away with what he had done. “He knew what he was doing when he raped me,” she said.

She said she had endured “four years of hell”, with the weeks leading up to the trial some of the hardest. “I don’t have words for the pain and suffering this has caused,” she said.

The garda agreed with Mark Nicholas SC, defending, said his client maintains his position at trial. He submitted that the initial by phone between the two on the night had been initiated by the woman and this was not premeditated by his client.

Counsel said his client has a young family and a work history. He said Troy has been spending his time in custody well and has had no disciplinary issues there.

While a probation report was ordered, the court heard that Troy declined to co-operate with the Probation Services. A psychological report was handed to the court on his behalf.

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.