The Court of Appeal has increased the prison sentence for a man who raped his wife at their home in Dublin in 2015.
The man, who can't be named to protect her identity, was previously jailed for just three years after she wrote a letter to the judge pleading for mercy.
During his trial, the jurors heard the man ripped off his wife’s clothes during the attack and put his hand over her face to stop her from screaming.
Through her Victim Impact Statement, she told the court she’d been scared of her him for years but now feels “comfortable and safe” in her home.
One week later, she wrote a letter to the judge pleading for clemency, stating how much she needed her husband to be with her and their children.
She told Gardaí that she forgave him, still had “strong feelings” for him and regretted bringing the case.
Taking everything into account, the judge jailed him for three years but that sentence was quashed on appeal today on the grounds of undue leniency.
The Court of Appeal felt it didn't reflect the gravity of the offence and resentenced him to 7.5 years with the final two suspended – thereby jailing him for two and a half years more than his original sentence.
The judges said that while the victim’s attitude towards sentencing should be considered, his crime is also seen as a “public wrong” in the eyes of the law.
