Man jailed after he raped a young woman at a house party as she drifted in and out of consciousness

By Fiona Ferguson

A man who raped a young woman at a house party as she drifted in and out of consciousness on a bathroom floor has been given an eight-year sentence with the final year suspended.

Ciara Mangan, who has waived her anonymity, told the Central Criminal Court how she felt unwell after being handed an open can of cider at the party.

She said Shane Noonan (28) had made a “beeline” for her and guided her into an upstairs bathroom where he raped her.

“I was easy prey, extremely vulnerable and defenceless. My control was taken from me. I stood no chance,” she said.

She told the court how he walked out and left her alone on the floor afterwards.

“The absolute disregard for my life is unforgivable,” she said, “I was left to choke on my own vomit that night and am lucky to still be alive.”

Noonan of Castlehilll Park, Turlough Road, Castlebar, Co Mayo pleaded guilty to rape of Ms Mangan at an address in Castlebar, Co Mayo, on May 11, 2013.

He has no previous convictions.

Noonan and Ms Mangan were both aged 18-years-old at the time and were co-workers at a fast food restaurant.

In the aftermath of the rape, Ms Mangan said she was subjected to “rape comments” and “rape songs” by colleagues in her then-workplace when the owner was absent.

“I get very distressed and emotional thinking about this abuse on top of what had happened to me,” she said, “To say this was absolute hell on earth is putting it lightly.”

“I felt confused, embarrassed, disregarded, bullied, stressed, overwhelmed and that I wouldn’t be believed,” she said.

She said she began to doubt herself “because colleagues found it funny and a source of entertainment.”

“This torture and abuse is one of the reasons I didn’t report the rape to the Gardaí sooner than I did,” she said.

Ms Mangan described the adverse effects the offence continues to have on her life including flashbacks, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress and issues with trust and relationships.

“As a result of being raped, I feel so unbelievably degraded, tarnished and violated,” she said.

“I hope to move on, although I can never forget,” she told the court.

“This will be where I take back control of my life that was stolen from me.

“My life that has been in Shane Noonan’s hands for far too long.

“It was never his to destroy in the first place.”

Passing sentence today Ms Justice Eileen Creedon said it had been a cold, predatory and premeditated rape of a young woman in an obviously vulnerable condition.

She noted Ms Mangan has no assistance from her assailant after the rape.

She set a headline sentence of ten years.

She noted a probation report outlined Noonan accepts responsibility for the rape but says he can’t remember it, recalling events before and afterwards and offering no explanation why.

Ms Justice Creedon noted in mitigation Noonan had no mental health or addiction issues and was in a stable relationship with no dependents.

A forensic psychological report placed him at low risk of reoffending. She said his guilty plea was the most significant mitigating factor.

She also noted his apology and lack of subsequent and previous offending.

Ms Justice Creedon imposed a sentence of eight years with the final year suspended on conditions including an assessment for a sex offender treatment programme.

Ms Mangan read her own victim statement to the court outlining the damaging and continuing effects on her and her family’s life.

“I always say that the moment I was raped, my soul left my body. Part of Ciara was stolen, changed, damaged, hurt and destroyed.

“I will never be the same Ciara I was before the rape.”

She said described how she had been reluctant to go to the party but had been encouraged to go by others.

She said within a short time of arriving at the party she had been raped, while it was still bright outside.

She played the events of the night over in her mind, questioning herself about why she didn’t she say no to going to the party, why did she not open her own drink, why didn’t she bring a friend.

“I wish every day that I could turn back time and change one of those decisions,” she said.

“I was given a life sentence the day Shane Noonan raped me and I have to live with this pain for the rest of my life.

“There was no choice in the matter. It doesn’t go away.”

She thanked family and friends who have supported her through the process, the gardai and the Rape Crisis Centre.

“I finally feel like a survivor now, rather than a victim,” Ms Mangan said.

Detective Garda William Grant told Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, that both Noonan and Ms Mangan were aged 18-years-old at the time and were co-workers at a fast food restaurant.

Ms Mangan said her parents were away, leaving her for her first weekend alone at home.

She said she went to a party where some of her co-workers were present.

She was handed an open can of Bulmers with a straw in it.

She had some jelly shots and then a second can of Bulmers.

She said that half way through the second can she felt weird and disoriented.

Her hearing was muffled, she could not stand unaided and felt very sleepy.

She had a memory of being sick and then being approached by Noonan.

She felt he had made a beeline for her, as if waiting for the right time.

He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away.

He then demanded they go upstairs, which she refused.

He said it again and seemed agitated and intimidating to her.

She was scared.

She began going up the stairs but was very wobbly and Noonan guided her into a bathroom, locking the door.

He told her to lay on the floor and raped her as she went in and out of consciousness.

Afterwards she saw him strapping on his belt, open the bathroom door and walk out, before she fell unconscious again.

She later woke, vomited and had some relief from the illness she felt.

She could not understand what had happened or how the night had passed her by.

Before she left, she encountered Noonan again and asked him if they had sex.

He said “no” and told her to “shut the fuck up.”

She was in work the following day and Noonan did his best to avoid her.

She felt deeply depressed and knew she had been raped.

She described a pattern of behaviour in her workplace where an individual would sing songs while laughing and joking and changed the words of a song to “I am Shane and I like to rape women.”

She knew the songs and jokes were about her even though they were directed at Noonan.

She said this occurred on many occasions.

She did not disclose what occurred until her younger sister was due to take up employment in the same location and she could not let her sister go to work in that environment.

An informal report was made to gardai in 2014 but matters were not taken further until a further report and statement were made in 2018 and a file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Noonan was arrested and answered garda questions but denied sexual violence.

Mr Kelly said the view of the DPP was this case fell into the ordinary category of cases requiring a pre-mitigation headline sentence of between seven and ten years.

Damien Colgan SC, defending, Noonan has asked him to convey an apology and said he knows what he did was wrong.

He handed up a number of testimonials and character references, as well as psychiatric and probation reports.

He said Noonan had expressed remorse and was willing to co-operate with the Probation Service who had assessed him as at medium risk of reoffending.

Mr Colgan submitted there had been no reoffending over the past ten years and he was now in a long term relationship.

He said Noonan had not been a juvenile but was not too far out of those years at the time.

He asked that his guilty plea be taken into account.

He said his client’s parents had separated when he was young and his father died by suicide in 2015.

He said Noonan had a good work history, having worked in the fast food restaurant for seven years before leaving and setting up his own business but it did not go as well as planned.

He said Noonan did not participate in what had gone on with comments in the workplace and while it had been directed at Ms Mangan, it had also been directed at Noonan.