A woman who was raped by her former partner has said she is "speaking out because I want to turn my pain into purpose" after he was jailed for eight years.
Nathan Grant McNulty, aged 27, of Ballyogan Avenue, Carrickmines, Co Dublin was handed a nine-year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions for the rape and coercive control of Sarah Ryan.
Ms Ryan waived her right to anonymity so that McNulty could be named.
Speaking after the sentence hearing, Ms Ryan said: "I want people to know what he did, because silence protects abusers, and I will not stay silent any longer.
"I want everyone to understand that this can happen to young women like me, too. It can happen to anyone regardless of age, background or circumstances.
"Society needs to stop standing by and protecting abusers"
"For anyone listening who is living in fear, please know that help is available. Please reach out. You can escape. You can survive."
Ms Ryan said what happened to her was "pure evil" and that she suffered for years at the "hands of someone who was supposed to love me".
"And yet, despite everything, I am here. I am speaking out because I want to turn my pain into purpose. Society needs to stop standing by and protecting abusers."
She thanked her family, friends, gardaí and Women's Aid for their support.
McNulty pleaded guilty to charges of rape and coercive control. These pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions on a full facts basis, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
He has no previous convictions.
Evidence was heard that he raped the injured party in March 2019. She told gardaí it was extremely painful and that she told McNulty to stop, but he did not.
The court also heard that McNulty coercively controlled her. He was physically and verbally abusive and threatened her.
In one incident, he told her: "I own you. I'm not joking, I own you."
Reading her victim impact statement at an earlier sentence hearing, Ms Ryan said she felt she was "trapped in a nightmare from the very beginning".
She said the beatings reached a point where she thought McNulty was going to kill her.
She said she wished sometimes he would have killed her, as it would have meant an end to the suffering.
She said she was afraid to tell anyone and that McNulty exerted such control over her life that "it felt it wasn’t mine anymore".
She said she used to be bubbly and outgoing but is now suffering from severe depression and anxiety.
Ms Ryan said the criminal process was "extremely distressing" for her and her family, describing herself as a "shell of a person".
She said she now knows that what McNulty did to her was not normal, and he has stripped her of her sense of safety in the world.
Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted that McNulty's offending took place in the context of an intimate and domestic relationship, which is an aggravating factor.
He set a global headline sentence of 13 years, which he reduced to nine years to take account of the mitigation and McNulty's personal circumstances.
The judge said he would suspend the final year of the sentence under strict conditions and placed McNulty under the supervision of the Probation Services for two years post-release.
The conditions of the suspended portion of the sentence include that McNulty does not commit further sexual or coercive control offences and has no contact with the injured party for life.
Couple began relationship in 2018
An investigating garda gave evidence that McNulty and the injured party met in 2018 and quickly started a relationship.
In March of that year, there was an argument between the couple, after which he headbutted her, knocking her onto the road.
When a relative noticed a bruise the next day, the injured party said something about a mirror falling on her.
Later that year, he grabbed and punched her arm. In another incident, he grabbed and smashed her phone against the wall.
The court was told that the count of coercive control refers to dates between 2019 and 2022. McNulty would ring the injured party constantly to ask what she was doing.
He also took her phone, checked messages and blocked men in a manner she saw as jealous and controlling.
He also gave out to her for wearing makeup and berated her if she did not.
In another incident, he hit her on the head with a hairbrush, saying, "Hello, are you stupid? Anyone there?"
The relationship ended in March 2022, the court heard.
The court was told that McNulty experienced suicidal ideation around the time that the relationship ended and was detained under the Mental Health Act for a period.
He was later interviewed but made no comment in relation to most questions.
The investigating garda agreed with Michael Lynn SC, defending, that McNulty has complied with all bail conditions and has a young child with his new partner.
It was accepted that substance abuse by McNulty was a feature of this case, and the guilty plea was of benefit to the prosecution.
A letter of apology, testimonials and a probation report were provided to the court.
In his plea of mitigation, Mr Lynn said his client was just 20 at the time and had a troubled childhood. He had additional needs and behavioural problems at school.
He was working as an apprentice electrician when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and he was out of work and started abusing drugs.
Mr Lynn said his client was previously at suicide risk and required inpatient care.
He urged the court to be as lenient as possible in the circumstances.
