Jailed for 8 years for rape of woman sleeping in his flat

By Declan Brennan

A computer programmer and dance music promoter has been jailed for eight years for raping a young woman who was sleeping over in his flat.

Following a trial at the Central Criminal Court last July, a jury convicted Anton Shvets (38) of raping the woman in his apartment at Clancy Quay, Islandbridge, Dublin 8, on July 8, 2023.

He had denied the offence.

At a sentence hearing last July, Detective Garda Richie Mostyn told Anne Marie Lawlor SC, prosecuting, that the victim, a Ukrainian woman, had met Shvets previously at a social event but had never spent time alone with him.

The victim’s friend was arriving from Ukraine that night but had no accommodation for her first night, the court heard.

The victim contacted Shvets and asked if he could help and he agreed to put the second woman up for one night.

The victim and her friend arrived at the defendant’s flat around midnight.

The victim told the trial that she had taken two lines of ketamine earlier in the night and this hadn’t affected her in a significant way.

The defendant and the two women had some drinks together before the victim’s friend went to sleep in the bedroom of the man’s flatmate.

The court heard that the victim and the defendant continued chatting for some time but she testified that there was no flirting between them.

Shvets offered the victim to sleep in his room and the woman got into the double bed fully clothed and went to sleep. She woke up later to find her trousers and underwear removed and Shvets raping her.

She was lying on her stomach and he had his hands on her shoulders.

The victim was initially in a stupor but became hysterical when she realised what was happening.

She starting screaming at him. Shvets told her that she “had wanted it” because “you were moaning”.

The jury heard evidence from the victim’s friend of the victim screaming and being upset.

The woman left and called gardai and then went straight to a garda station.

During the trial, Shvets told the jury that he had felt “there was flirting” and the sex was consensual.

The jury rejected this and found him guilty.

Shvets has no other criminal record here or in Ukraine. Det Gda Mostyn agreed with defence counsel that there no other acts of violence during the incident.

He agreed that Shvets had never come to garda attention before this.

Counsel said his client had come to Ireland in 2016 and was now an Irish citizen working as a software engineer.

The court heard that Shvets had been involved in organising dance music events and had assisted many young DJs in this regard.

The victim appeared via video-link from Ukraine to give her victim impact statement in which she she said the rape changed her life.

She said that immediately afterwards, “I lived in constant fear and anxiety and a profound sense of helplessness”.

She said she became depressed and was unable to work and did not even want to take care of herself.

She said she began taking drugs every day in an attempt to numb the pain. She also began self harming and attempted to kill herself by taking an overdose.

“I believe the trauma I experienced was one of the main factors that led to my dependence on drugs and alcohol,” she said.

She said she has since sought out professional help for her spiralling addictions.

Counsel for Shvets provided the court with testimonials from his ex-wife who he “has a very good relationship” with.

He said Shvets’s father and stepmother depended on his client for financial support.

Justice Eileen Creedon said the defendant does not appear to accept the jury verdict and has shown no remorse or acknowledgment of the harm caused by his actions.

She said the aggravating factors were the young age of the victim and the fact that she was sleeping when he carried out the attack. She also noted the effects of the rape on the woman.

She set a headline sentence of nine years. She reduced this to eight years to take into consideration mitigating factors including the man’s previous good character.

She suspended the final year on conditions and ordered that Shvets be registered as a sex offender.