Martin Burke, 28, from Tralee, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of a woman he knew. The attack occurred on December 18th, 2022, in Tralee, Ireland. The judge described the case as one of the most serious he had encountered.
Martin Burke (28), from Tralee , was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of a woman he knew. The Central Criminal Court heard that Burke grabbed the woman by the throat, dragged her to the ground, and tried to strangle her before raping her in a lane in Tralee on December 18th, 2022. Mr. Justice Tony Hunt, presiding over the case, stated that this was 'one of the most serious' cases he had encountered in recent times.
Burke, who has 17 previous convictions, had pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and sexual assault.The victim, who requested to remain anonymous but allowed Burke to be named, recounted the terrifying ordeal in her victim impact statement. She described feeling fear for her life during the attack and enduring lasting psychological trauma. Since the incident, she lives in fear of the dark, hesitates to shower, and avoids going out at night. The Christmas period, which occurred a week after the assault, was irreparably ruined for her. During the trial, an investigating garda detailed how Burke and the victim, who were acquainted, were seen together on CCTV in the early hours of the morning. They walked up a lane around 3am, where Burke attacked her. The woman stated that she was strangled for a minute or so, tasting blood in her mouth. Burke threatened her, telling her he wouldn't kill her if she complied with his demands. He ordered her to remove her trousers and pulled her by her hair into an alleyway, where he raped her. Following the assault, Burke and the victim engaged in a conversation, during which she promised to remain silent. At 5.39am, after being left alone, the woman contacted her partner. Two gardaí on patrol observed her distress and brought her to a Garda station, where she was then transported to a sexual assault treatment unit for examination. She sustained significant bruising on her neck and lower limbs, along with fragments of pine needles on her body, corroborating her account of the attack. Burke was apprehended and initially claimed the encounter was consensual, but he later admitted to his fiancée that he felt guilty for cheating on her.
Rape Sexual Assault Ireland Tralee Martin Burke Sentencing Victim Impact Statement
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