National: 'I'm prepared to accept whatever punishment the judge gives me'

A man who raped a woman in a secluded lane after she thought he was recording them having sex says he is “prepared to accept whatever punishment the judge gives me.”

Ivan Kelly (23), of Buttercup Avenue, Esker Hills, Portlaoise was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury following a trial last October. He had pleaded not guilty to the rape in a Laois town on December 27, 2017.

Detective Garda Michael Esmond told Lorcan Staines SC, prosecuting, that the woman initially contacted Kelly to buy drugs off of him.

They met in the town and walked to a secluded lane where they had what started as a consensual sexual encounter.

The woman saw a flash on Kelly's phone and thought he was videoing her. He became more and more forceful and removed her iPod from her pocket.

The woman told him to stop and Kelly became violent. He pushed her, causing her to bang her head, stood on her ankle and raped her from behind.

When the assault ended, the women met her friends and immediately reported what had happened. She later told her parents who called the gardai.

The court heard that a medical examination found the woman had bruises and scratches to her neck, shoulder and vaginal area, consistent with the report of rape and assault.

Kelly was arrested and questioned but said the sexual intercourse was consensual and had occurred somewhere else. He denied that he raped the woman.

He was released, but left Ireland and went to England. He was later extradited back. Kelly has been in custody since June 29, 2022.

In a victim impact statement handed in to the court, the woman said: “After the rape, I felt like nothing. I lost who I was. I lost the hopes and dreams that I once had.”

“I felt empty every day. I felt nothing but sadness and loneliness,” she said, “I just wanted to be happy but nothing made me feel happy.” “For a very long time I was very afraid as to what could happen if I let my guard down or trusted the wrong person.”

The woman said the rape made her feel “dirty and disgusting” and that “My Christmases were never the same.” She said she began using drugs to deal with the emotions resulting from the rape.

“I still stand up with my head held high,” she wrote,  “I was young and innocent and that innocence was taken for me.” “I am worth fighting for like so many others.”

Damien Colgan SC, defending, said his client fully accepts the verdict and expresses remorse.

He said Kelly was a juvenile at the time of the rape and answered all questions put to him during gardai interview.

Mr Colgan said his client was willing to engage with any services that the court deems necessary.

Defence counsel read from a letter written by Kelly to the victim in which he apologised for what happened.  “I never wanted it to get out of hand the way it did. I was in a very dark place and I'm now prepared to accept whatever punishment the judge gives me.”

Kelly has 27 previous convictions for possession of knives, possession of drugs, theft, handling stolen property, criminal damage, failure to appear, assault and road traffic offences.

Justice Michael McGrath adjourned the case until February 13 for finalisation.