A man has been remanded in custody charged with rape, a newly introduced "strangulation" offence, and unlawfully recording intimate images of a woman in Dublin in recent weeks.
The accused, who is in his 30s and cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Judge Deirdre Gearty at Dublin District Court following an investigation by gardaí based at Store Street station.
The offences are said to have occurred at a residential address in the north inner city on various dates over the past month.
The man is accused of raping the woman, an offence that could, on conviction, result in a life sentence.
He has also been charged under new laws brought in last year, creating a stand-alone offence of non-fatal strangulation, which carries a maximum 10-year sentence.
In that offence, it is alleged he, without lawful excuse, intentionally strangled the woman, causing her to believe that she was likely to be subject to strangulation during an assault.
Furthermore, gardaí charged him with recording intimate images without her consent, which could seriously interfere with peace and privacy or cause alarm, distress or harm, contrary to the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.
Garda Sean Shields gave evidence of arrest, charge, and caution.
The man, who does not have a fixed address, did not speak during the hearing.
However, the judge noted that when charged at the Garda station, he replied: "Sorry for what I've done" and "Sorry about that."
The issue of bail then arose.
The defendant was represented by solicitor Aoife McTaggart, who told Judge Gearty, "We are reserving our position," and the man consented to be remanded in custody.
He was granted legal aid and will appear again next week.
Judge Gearty reminded the media that the "usual reporting restrictions" applied to media coverage of the case.
Unless convicted, the defendant legally has automatic anonymity, as does the complainant, who maintains that right at all stages.
The charge for recording intimate images also carries reporting restrictions to protect the identity of the alleged victim.
Gardaí must be notified ahead of his next hearing if he intends to move a bail application.
