Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4065Rape · Co. Leitrim

Iraqi barber Dilzar Hamad jailed for eight years for rape of guest in Co. Leitrim

Dilzar Hamad, 40, an Iraqi barber from Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court on 19 January 2026 for the rape of a woman who was a guest in his home in January or February 2021. He was convicted by a jury in March 2025 after a first trial in March 2024 ended without a verdict.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced20 Jan
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
20 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatDilzar Hamad was convicted by a jury of rape of a woman who was a guest in his home. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHamad pushed the victim back inside the bathroom and covered her mouth, telling her not to scream. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatPrior to the rape, the woman had received inappropriate texts from Hamad indicating a sexual interest in her. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHamad threatened the victim not to tell anyone about what happened. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe rape occurred in a downstairs toilet at Hamad's home. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe rape took place on a date in January or February 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationHamad was arrested in August 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe first trial took place in March 2024 but the jury failed to reach a verdict. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtHamad was re-tried and convicted in March 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtMr Justice David Keane passed sentence at the Central Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge set a headline sentence of nine years' imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe final sentence imposed was eight years' imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceTwo years of post-release supervision with strict conditions was ordered. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHamad has no previous convictions. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe defence argued the case fell into the standard sentence band with a starting point of seven years. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherA probation report placed Hamad at low risk of re-offending long-term but high risk in the next 12 months in the community. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHamad is married with five children. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHamad came to Ireland from the Kurdish part of Iraq and set up a barber shop in Carrick on Shannon employing four people. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHamad no longer owns the barber shop as a result of going into custody in March 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHamad claims the encounter was consensual and does not accept the jury's verdict. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 20 Jan2026
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Iraqi barber jailed for rape of woman who was guest in his Co. Leitrim home

    Sentencing hearing before Mr Justice David Keane at the Central Criminal Court, including the judge's reasoning, victim impact statement, DPP and defence sentencing submissions, and a two-year post-release supervision order.

    convicted, Dilzar Hamad, 40, male, Iraqi, named, non-irishDilzar Hamadvictim, female