Case No. 0463Rape, sexual assault · Co. Dublin · 9 Feb 2025
Repeat offender Ibrahim Ahmed Gharib jailed for 11 years for raping woman in Dublin 2
Ibrahim Ahmed Gharib, 48, an Egyptian national, was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of raping and sexually assaulting 27-year-old woman Christina Foley at a builder's shed in Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2, on February 9 or 10, 2025. The pair had met on O'Connell Street and were consuming crack cocaine; the victim lived in a hostel for the homeless and had never met Gharib before. Gharib was arrested and a semen DNA match was found, while the victim was herself arrested in a distressed state while trying to report the incident at Store Street Garda Station, with charges later withdrawn. Mr Justice Sean Gillane sentenced Gharib to 11 years in July 2026, backdated to June 11, 2025. This was his second rape conviction; he had been released from a 10-year sentence in January 2024.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Convicted21 Jul
- Sentenced31 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Gharib raped and sexually assaulted Christina Foley at a builder's shed in Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2, on February 9 or 10, 2025.
- The victim, 27, lived in a hostel for the homeless and had never met Gharib before; they were consuming crack cocaine and had met on O'Connell Street.
- The victim was arrested while trying to report the incident at Store Street Garda Station in a distressed state, and the charges against her were later withdrawn.
- In 2018, Gharib was convicted of raping a student he met on a bus to Carlow and followed home, and was sentenced to 10 years.
- Where
- Gharib is of Mary Aikenhead House, Dublin 8.
- When
- Gharib was released from prison on January 22, 2024, after serving a 10-year sentence for a 2018 rape conviction.
- Investigation
- Gharib was arrested and brought to Kevin Street Garda Station, and a semen DNA match was found at the SATU in Rotunda Hospital.
- In court
- Gharib was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of raping and sexually assaulting Christina Foley.
- Sentence
- Mr Justice Sean Gillane sentenced Gharib to 11 years at the Central Criminal Court in July 2026, reducing a headline of 12 years by one year, backdated to June 11, 2025.
- Other details
- Gharib is an Egyptian national who was described as an illegal immigrant.
34 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe victim lived in a hostel for the homeless and had never met Gharib before. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThey were consuming crack cocaine and went to Oliver Bond flats to acquire further drugs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatAt 5am the victim told him she wanted to go to sleep because she was tired and coming off drugs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGharib alleged the victim was blackmailing him and that she made him ejaculate while he was asleep. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMs Foley said the handcuffs were so tight she had marks on her hands. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMs Foley thanked Garda Lisa Scannell and the other gardaí who helped her. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatIn the 2018 case, Gharib denied rape, sexual assault and threatening to kill the victim at her home between July 7 and 8, 2016, and denied sexual assaulting her on a bus on July 7. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGharib had a previous conviction for urinating in public. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGharib was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting Christina Foley at Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2 on February 9 or 10, 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThey were consuming crack cocaine (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe victim lived in a hostel for the homeless (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe victim was in a distressed state and tried to get a guard to come to the public counter at around 7am (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe charges against the victim were withdrawn (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe victim waived her anonymity (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe handcuffs were so tight the victim had marks on her hands (irishmirror.ie)
- whatIn 2018, Gharib raped a student he met on a bus to Carlow and followed home (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe victim agreed to meet two female gardaí at Store Street Garda Station (irishmirror.ie)
- whereGharib is of Mary Aikenhead House, Dublin 8. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenGharib was released from prison on January 22, 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe victim was brought to the SATU in the Rotunda Hospital and a semen DNA match was found for Gharib. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGharib was arrested and brought to Kevin Street Garda Station for questioning. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA semen DNA match was found for Gharib (irishmirror.ie)
- courtGharib was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court of raping and sexually assaulting Christina Foley at Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2 on February 9 or 10, 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMs Foley wished to waive her anonymity and her victim impact statement was read by prosecution barrister Tony McGillicuddy SC. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtIn mitigation, Dara Foynes SC said Gharib did not accept the verdict of the jury. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtPauline Walley SC said there was a constitutional imperative for justice to be done in public and no evidence supported the threat claims. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMr Justice Sean Gillane will sentence Gharib later this month. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe sentencing was carried out by Mr Justice Sean Gillane at the Central Criminal Court (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceGharib was given a 10-year sentence at the Central Criminal Court in 2018 for rape and sexual assault. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe judge set a headline sentence of 12 years (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe judge reduced the headline sentence by one year to an 11-year jail term (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe sentence was backdated to June 11, 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGharib is an Egyptian national (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGharib was described as an illegal immigrant (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 31 Jul2026Woman arrested while trying to report rape by repeat offender
Reports the sentencing of Gharib to 11 years (headline 12 reduced by 1), details of the victim being arrested while reporting the incident, the DNA evidence, and his previous 10-year rape conviction from 2018 for which he was released in January 2024.
victim, Christina Foley, female, irish (judged from name)Christina Foleyconvicted, Ibrahim Ahmed Gharib, 48, male, Egyptian, named, non-irishIbrahim Ahmed Gharibvictim, 27, female - 21 Jul2026Illegal immigrant rapist from Egypt raped second woman after release from prison
Reports the conviction and trial details ahead of sentencing, including the victim impact statement, the victim's arrest while reporting the incident, and background on Gharib's 2018 prior rape conviction and release in January 2024.
accused, Ibrahim Ahmed Gharib, 48, male, Egyptian, named, non-irishIbrahim Ahmed Gharibvictim, Christina Foley, female, irish (judged from name)Christina Foleyvictim, 27, female