A 24-year-old man who broke into a woman’s home and raped her while she was in a deep sleep has been jailed for nine years.
Kamal Kumar Nepali of Beech Park, Balincollig, Cork, was described as a predator who entered a number of homes on the same night looking for vulnerable women.
He was convicted by a jury earlier this year on eight charges including rape, trespass, assault and sexual assault of the woman at a house near University College Cork on 1 March 2022.
He was also convicted of entering as as trespasser to four other properties on the same night.
Sentences of between one month and five years were imposed for the other offences which will be served at the same time.
Mr Justice Michael McGrath said Nepali had shown no remorse or regret or any empathy for his victim and did not accept the jury’s verdict.
He said there were a number of aggravating factors which brought the offending into the category of more serious cases.
These included the physical violence reflected in the convictions for assault and sexual assault and the fact that it happened during a burglary.
The violation of the safety and sanctuary of the victim’s home was also an aggravating factor along with the fact that he had earlier been told to leave by another occupant of the house.
The vulnerability of the victim was also an aggravating factor, the judge said along with the fact that the man had entered a number of other properties the same night, signifying intent and the predatory nature of the offending, Judge McGrath said.
However, given his young age and lack of previous convictions the judge said he would suspend the final year of a ten-year sentence on condition that Nepali engages with therapeutic programmes while in custody and is supervised for three years after his release.
The sentence was backdated to July 2022 when he went into custody.
