A Co. Armagh man accused of multiple rapes against his pregnant partner laughed at her and told her it had been “the best sex of his life,” a court heard on Tuesday.
Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Newry, also heard that after raping her, the 23-year-old defendant allegedly told his victim to “take one last look at your daughter’s bedroom before I kill you” and further that the alleged victim told her alleged assailant “it wasn’t sex, it was rape.”
The 23-year-old, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the complainant, appeared at court by videolink from police custody where he was charged with eight offences arising from the incident in August 15 this year, including three counts rape, one attempted rape, one sexual assault, trespass with intent to rape, making a threat to kill and causing criminal damage to the woman’s car.
Giving evidence to the court Detective Constable Thompson outlined how the complainant was at home on Sunday morning when her partner, the defendant, came in through the back door so she had gone “straight upstairs to the bathroom.”
When she came out, the defendant was lying on the bed and she told him their relationship was over but at that, “she described him as going from angry to psychotic.”
“He said ‘I’m going to f****** rape you’ and he grabbed her by the throat, put her on the bed and he took a pillow and put it over her face,” said the officer, “she couldn’t see, she couldn’t breath but she could feel her pants being removed.”
As the woman was allegedly being raped she “screamed and begged for help numerous times” and eventually, he stopped and asking him to leave or she would call the police, he allegedly told her: “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to f****** kill you. Take one last look at your daughter’s room before I kill you.”
The 23-year-old went downstairs and the complainant feared he was getting a weapon as she heard something rattling in the cutlery drawer while she “screamed out” of the bedroom window for help.
When he came back upstairs, although he did not have a weapon, he allegedly “pushed her on the bed and began masturbating while laughing at her” before he raped her again, performed a sex act in her and tried to force her to do the same.
Laughing at her as she “begged him to stop,” the detective claimed the 23-year-old told his pregnant partner “he loved the fear on her face and that it was the best sex of his life.”
“She said it wasn’t sex, it was rape,” Detective Constable Thompson told the court adding that at one stage, she tried to take a video of the defendant but did managed to send a message to her father who “was able to persuade” the defendant to leave when he arrived.
During police questioning the alleged rapist gave a prepared statement where he not only denied the offences but also made counter allegations that he had been subject to domestic violence and psychological abuse.
The officer said police were objecting to bail due to fears the defendant would commit further offences or interfere with witnesses, adding that police also had concerns of violent repercussions for the defendant himself as he had told cops if people knew his local area knew what he was charged with “I will have my knees done.”
Under cross examination from defence solicitor Jarlath Fields, Detective Constable Thompson agreed that the defendant’s own 14-page statement “makes for grim reading” as it outlined how his partner had used psychological manipulation, threatened to kill him, herself “and her unborn baby” and she had instilled such fear in him that at one time, “he had urinated himself”.
Mr Fields submitted that with a limited record, for the police to suggest he would commit further offences or interfere with witnesses was “speculation” and argued that he could be freed with a package of stringent bail conditions.
Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter did initially grant bail in the sum of £500 with multiple conditions such as tagging, curfew, residence and geographical prohibitions but a Public Prosecution lawyer said he had been instructed to appeal the judges decision so the 23-year-old was not freed pending that appeal and the case was adjourned until September 14.
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