Gerald Barry, the man serving life for the murder of Swiss student Manuela Reido in 2007, has pleaded guilty in court to the rape of a 21-year-old French student in August of the same year.
The Central Criminal Court in Galway heard that the French student was walking through Mervue in Galway when she was attacked.
She had been out with friends on the night of 16 August 2007 and decided to walk home because she could not get a taxi.
Barry came up behind her, put a knife to her throat and pulled her into the GAA grounds on Walter Macken Road before raping her.
He also stole €30 from her bag as well as her camera.
Barry was charged with the rape through DNA evidence and also because evidence was heard that he was seen in the area on the night.
Detective Inspector Gerard Roche told the court that Barry was brought before a court sitting in Galway three days after the rape on a separate assault charge on his former partner.
He was released on bail despite objections from gardaí.
Seven weeks later he murdered Swiss student Manuela Riedo. He is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of the 17-year-old.
He strangled Ms Riedo after sexually assaulting her on a pedestrian walkway in Lough Atalia on the outskirts of Galway City in October 2007.
Today, Detective Inspector Gerard Roche read out a victim impact statement from the French student, who was not in court today.
In the statement said that it was disgusting what Barry did to her and that he has destroyed so many lives.
She described him as a human predator and begged the court not to let him out on the streets.
Gerald Barry is to be sentenced for the rape at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Galway on Friday.
