Sunday 1 November 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. 22049Sexual assault · Co. Donegal · 11 Feb 2018

Suspended sentence for Donegal man who sexually assaulted partner

A 31-year-old Donegal man was sentenced to a suspended two-year and six-month prison term with three years' probation for sexually assaulting his partner at their family home in February 2018. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault after jury disagreements in two previous trials on a section 4 rape charge.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced6 Mar
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
20 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe accused man is 31 years old and cannot be named for legal reasons (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe man has no previous convictions (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe woman told the court the offence had shattered her life and trust (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe man and the woman had been in a long-term relationship during which the man worked away from home (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe couple had a small party at their home on the weekend of the offence and another couple stayed over (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe woman went upstairs to bed alone and fell asleep (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe woman woke to find herself on her left side with her PJ bottoms pulled down to her knees and the accused rubbing his penis around her anal area (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe woman locked herself in the bathroom (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe woman left the house but came back because it was snowing (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe relationship between the couple essentially came to an end that night (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationThe woman came to the Garda station the following day and made a complaint (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeThe man pleaded guilty to sexual assault of the woman at their family home in Donegal on 11 February 2018 (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeThe man had been facing a more serious charge, section 4 rape (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThere were jury disagreements in two trials in March 2020 and February 2022 (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe Director of Public Prosecutions accepted a guilty plea to sexual assault (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceJudge Paul McDermott set a headline sentence of four years before mitigation (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge imposed a sentence of two years and six months (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge suspended the sentence (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge ordered three years probation supervision (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe man was ordered not to approach or contact the woman directly (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 6 Mar2023
    Sentenceddonegallive.ie, first report
    Suspended sentence for Donegal man who sexually assaulted his partner as she slept

    Reports the sentencing by Judge Paul McDermott to a suspended sentence of two years and six months with three years' probation supervision, following a guilty plea to sexual assault after two hung jury trials on a rape charge in March 2020 and February 2022.

    victim, femaleconvicted, 31, male, irish (judged from name)