'Jekyll and Hyde' man who carried out Drogheda assaults had previous conviction
A Drogheda man who raped one woman and sexually assaulted another within hours of each other has a previous conviction for attacking another female, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Christopher Farrell (aged 27) was described in court as a 'Jekyll and Hyde' character who was "twisted" by his upbringing to commit the offences. A probation report stated he is at a high risk of reoffending.
He was convicted by a jury in July of the series of sexual attacks which occurred in the Drogheda area in the early hours of the morning. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan heard the sentencing hearing today and will pass sentence at the end of the month.
The judge heard the offences are regarded by the Director of Public Prosecutions as being at the higher end of the scale and deserving of a sentence of more than 10 years.
Farrell of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda had pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape, attempted rape and false imprisonment of one woman and sexual assault of another on September 16, 2007 at two locations in Co Louth.
Garda Nuala Quinn told prosecuting counsel, Ms Caroline Biggs SC, that Farrell has 26 previous convictions including assault causing harm on a female. During the attack he pulled the woman by the hair to the ground when she refused to share a taxi with him in the early hours of the morning.
Garda Quinn also detailed a string of public order and road traffic offences.
Defence counsel, Mr Blaise O’Carroll SC, said the only thing he could say in mitigation about the sex attacks was that Farrell gave the victims a lift home afterwards.
Counsel said Farrell was born into a family “overwhelmed by alcohol” and he was abused as a child. He said he then went on to abuse alcohol himself to deal with the pain.
Mr O’Carroll said Farrell is an “angry, distraught human being” who was “twisted to do what he did”.
He said he was a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ character who is willing undergo treatment courses in prison.
He said his client is remorseful about the attacks and appreciates the damage he has done to his victims.
The court heard Farrell had dropped out of school after his Junior Certificate and worked sporadically since. Mr O’Carroll asked Mr Justice Edwards to “leave some light at the end of the tunnel”.
He added that Farrell intends to emigrate to Spain on his release “to live in harmony with his girlfriend who apparently loves him dearly.”
Both of his victims strongly rejected suggestions by defense lawyer Blaise O’Carroll SC that the incidents were consensual.
"Why would I lie? If I consented, why would I be here putting myself through this?" the rape victim replied.
She added that claims by the accused that she said she trusted him and was happy to be in his company were “complete lies”.
Farrell had agreed with gardaí that women “pissed him off”, saying: “Women piss everyone off.”
Referring to the rape victim, he told gardaí: “I’m very surprised the second one said anything…I thought we were getting on well.”
