

A young woman has claimed she was “high on drugs” when she made a 30-page statement to gardaí in which she alleged she was repeatedly raped and held against her will over six days in Limerick.

The evidence was heard during a bail hearing for a 33-year- old man, who is facing multiple charges of rape and assault.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between May 3rd-9th at three addresses in Limerick city.

The man is charged with 34 rape offences, seven counts of false imprisonment, five counts of assaulting her causing her harm and two charges of sexually assaulting her.

During a bail hearing at Limerick District Court yesterday, Det Garda Keith Harmon told the court that he took the original 30-page statement of complaint. In it, the woman alleges she was forced from a taxi by the accused into another vehicle and held against her will for six days where she was raped and assaulted.

It is alleged that on May 3rd, the man “allowed her to visit” her one-year-old child at another address, where she was severely assaulted and beaten on both legs with a shovel.

Transcripts of phone calls between the man and a relative were also read out during the hearing, in which the accused instructs the other man to “camp outside” where the alleged victim was staying if he had to.

Det Garda Pat Whelan told the court he was approached by a close friend of the woman last week who said the she had been put under “massive pressure” from people associated with the accused man to tell gardaí that what she had said in her statement was lies.

Det Garda Whelan said the woman was also instructed on how to behave in court and told to sit close to the accused.

Solicitor John Devane, defending, said a letter from the alleged victim indicating she wished to withdraw her statement was sent to gardaí before the file was sent to the DPP.

He claimed the woman, who was in court yesterday, had previously approached him outside the court and told him “everything she said was lies”.

Judge Eugene O’Kelly refused the bail application and remanded the man in custody until September 24th.