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Man loses appeal against conviction for rape, assaults

A part-time postman who raped and sexually assaulted a woman in her isolated rural home over an 11-year period has lost, by a three to two majority, his Supreme Court appeal against conviction.

Two senior judges dissented in the ruling, which dealt with the legality of a blood sample taken from the defendant.

The offences occurred when Michael Boyce (48), a postman and married man, Rathconrath, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, broke into the woman’s home a number of times and assaulted her in the dark. The woman, now 80, was aged from 55 and 66 at the time of the assaults, from 1983 to 1994.

Boyce was convicted and jailed for eight years at the Central Criminal Court in 2001 of raping the woman at her home in 1989 and was convicted of attempted rape, indecent assault and sexual assault of her from 1983 to 1994.

The main evidence was DNA evidence from a blood sample obtained voluntarily from him while in custody in a Garda station.

Mary Carolan, Irish Times

More story at-http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1119/1227026416607.html

© 2008 The Irish Times

 
 

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