Riad Hamzi jailed for nine years for rape of wife Elena O'Brien in Cork
On 19 August 2020, Riad Hamzi, a 51-year-old Algerian man, raped his wife Elena O'Brien, a woman, at their home in Cork after she told him she wished to end their marriage. He punched her twice in the body, raped her, and put his fist in her mouth, telling her to be quiet. A jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted Hamzi of a single count of rape in December 2024. On 24 March 2025, Mr Justice Paul Burns sentenced him to nine years with the final year suspended for three years on strict conditions, backdated to 20 December 2024.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced24 Mar
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Riad Hamzi raped his wife Elena O'Brien at their home in Cork after she told him she wished to end their marriage.
- Hamzi punched her twice in the body, raped her, and put his fist in her mouth, telling her to be quiet.
- When
- The rape occurred on 19 August 2020.
- Where
- The incident took place at a house in Cork.
- Charges
- A jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted Hamzi of a single count of rape in December 2024.
- Sentence
- Mr Justice Paul Burns sentenced Hamzi to nine years with the final year suspended for three years on strict conditions, backdated to 20 December 2024.
- Other details
- Hamzi, an Algerian national who has lived in Ireland for more than 25 years, denied the allegation and told gardaí it was consensual sex.
- The judge identified the spousal relationship, the impact on the victim, and the level of violence over and above the rape as aggravating features.
- Elena O'Brien waived her anonymity and read a detailed impact statement describing PTSD, nightmares, and a fear for her life.
- Hamzi's cancer diagnosis, work history, and religious community involvement were considered in mitigation.
17 statements extracted from the articles
- whatOn the night, the victim expressed concerns about difficulties in their marriage and a wish to separate. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHamzi told her everything was fine, then became aggressive, punching her twice in the body. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe then raped her and put his fist in her mouth, telling her to be quiet. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe left the house, returning at about 1am, then asked her what she wanted to talk about. (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe was in the sitting room and initially told him it was too late, then after he insisted, told him about her wish to end their marriage. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe rape occurred on 19 August 2020 at a house in Cork. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted Hamzi of a single count of rape in December 2024. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceMr Justice Paul Burns imposed a sentence of nine years with the final year suspended for three years on strict conditions. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe sentence was backdated to 20 December 2024, when Hamzi went into custody. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe judge identified the relationship between the parties and the impact on the victim as aggravating features. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe level of violence over and above the rape was also an aggravating factor. (irishtimes.com)
- otherHamzi denied the allegation of rape and told gardaí it was consensual sex. (irishtimes.com)
- otherHamzi is an Algerian national who has been living in Ireland for more than 25 years. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA recent scan is clear but Hamzi has ongoing health issues. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe victim said she feared for her life in that moment and no longer felt safe. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe victim outlined struggling with sleep, PTSD and nightmares. (irishtimes.com)
- otherShe later emailed her solicitor to tell them what had happened before going to a Garda station to make a complaint. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 24 Mar2025‘I was just a possession’: Man jailed for eight years for rape of wife who wanted to separate
Sentencing article. Mr Justice Paul Burns imposed nine years (final year suspended for three years on strict conditions), backdated to 20 December 2024. Aggravating factors included the spousal relationship, impact on victim, and violence beyond the rape. Mitigation included cancer diagnosis, work history, and religious community involvement. Victim waived anonymity and read a detailed impact statement.
victim, female, irish (judged from name)convicted, Riad Hamzi, 51, male, Algerian, named, non-irishRiad Hamzi