A MAN HAS been sentenced to nine years imprisonment with the final year suspended for the rape of a woman following a night out in 2019.

Bláthnaid Raleigh waived her anonymity to allow her attacker be named in reporting of the case.

Jonathan ‘Johnny’ Moran of Tower View, Mullingar, Co Westmeath (26) was convicted last month by a Central Criminal Court jury of two offences, a section four rape of Ms Raleigh and aggravated sexual assault using a bottle in a garden shed in Galway on 21 July 2019.

Outside the court, Ms Raleigh told reporters that she has received “great comfort” from people knowing what Moran did her to her, having originally felt “totally isolated” in the aftermath of the rape.

“He’s walked around locally with his head held high and continued to play his rugby and socialised in his rugby club and continued in his job,” she said.

“Now all these people know exactly what he had been doing and what he was hiding during that time, when I was locked away, not doing anything.”

Ms Raleigh added that she welcomed the judge’s sentence but said it was not the most critical part of the court process for her.

“Given the normal sentences that people have gotten in recent times, it’s a strong sentence. I take the view that I’ve done a five-year sentence already.

“I’m going to continue to do that sentence, so a custodial sentence never really meant a lot for me. It was more the validation from the court that you’re believed.”

She said she gave serious thought to the decision to waive her right to anonymity and hopes it will offer some comfort to someone in the future who is “sitting at home at night when they can’t sleep” due to their assault.

“I spent so many sleepless nights where I was worried and I’d read cases and I was never able to put a face to a case, that this has happened to somebody the same age as me,” she said.

She added that to have Moran’s “name and his face out there” after the trial was important, explaining that she thinks people in her generation sometimes struggle to “acknowledge that these crimes are happening within our circles”.

“This guy is young, he was 21 at the time. He’s like any of our peers. I think we as a society need to look at that – it’s not so far away… that these crimes are happening in our locality. They’re young people as well,” she said.

“I think the younger demographic can’t acknowledge that these crimes are happening within our circles as well and I think that’s a massive problem. It’s probably why victims don’t want to come out, don’t want to have people named – because it’s so close to home.”

Ms Raleigh had told the court that members of her own family decided to leave Mullingar Rugby Football club where they played alongside Moran, so that they did not interfere with the investigation.

In a statement to The Journal, the club said it was “deeply shocked and saddened” when it learned of the crime committed by Moran, following his conviction last month.

“We condemn and are appalled by this act,” the club added. “We are committed to promoting a culture of respect, integrity, and zero tolerance for any form of abuse and to upholding the values of sportsmanship, integrity, and respect for all.”

Sexual consent

Mr Justice Tony Hunt warned today that “consent is something that must be looked for”, adding that if it is not established, “you do so at your own peril”.

“If it is not consensual sexual activity, it is sexual activity that will result in the commission of a serious sexual offence and the room for anything but a significant immediate custodial sentence is non-existent,” Justice Hunt continued.

The judge added that the experience had a “life-changing” effect for the victim.

He said that to “treat another human being in this way is beyond the pale” and that it was difficult to understand what Moran was thinking on the night in question.

The judge noted that a character reference for Moran had been withdrawn before today’s sentencing.

He said that in cases of serious offending, the question of what might happen in the future in terms of Moran’s employment was of “limited concern” to the court.

While a character reference demonstrating a good employment record can be of use, he said, it “goes up in smoke” as soon as an offence of such a serious nature is committed.

Ms Raleigh had been attending the Galway Arts Festival with a friend when they happened to bump into Moran and other people from their home town of Mullingar.

The rape occurred after Ms Raleigh went back with Moran and some other young people to the rental that he and his friends were staying in that weekend.

He claimed that the sexual activity on the night had been consensual and denied that he used any implement in assaulting Ms Raleigh.

However, DNA was found on three bottles following a forensic examination of the shed.

The judge praised the gardaí for their gathering of this forensic evidence and for Ms Raleigh’s testimony.

Ms Raleigh was left with serious physical injuries that required months of treatment in a sexual assault unit, the court heard.