In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Richard O’Mara, then 31, was jailed for 12 years for twice raping a schoolgirl during his sister’s 18th birthday party. On Thursday, 31 October 2019, the defendant, of Walnut Avenue, Kingswood, Tallaght, Dublin, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court. The court reported that the crimes occurred on 18 October 2015, in Ballymulcashel, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.
The investigation established that O’Mara, then 27, led the victim into a field under the false pretence of taking her to a friend’s house. An Garda Síochána reported that he forced her to the ground and raped her while she was crying and shaking her head. The prosecution reported that after returning to the family home in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, O’Mara subjected the girl—who was in her final year of secondary school—to an “even more vicious” second rape in the living room before falling asleep.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that O’Mara used deceit and extreme violence to overpower the victim. Ms Justice Burns described the ordeal as a “vicious, horrifying attack” and noted that a “sense of class” had been pervasive in the case, with the suggestion that O’Mara’s wealthy background should afford him more credibility than the victim’s family. The prosecution reported that the victim suffered significant physical injuries, including bleeding for a week, and was left so traumatised she did not leave her bedroom for two months in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.
The judge praised the victim as a “very brave young woman” for standing up to the defendant and noted that O’Mara had “robbed” her of her virginity and her ability to trust. For his actions in Co Clare, O’Mara was found guilty of two counts of rape by a jury following a two-and-a-half-week trial. The judge noted that the 14-year sentence, with the final two years suspended, reflected the depravity of the “scenario that beggars belief” within the family home.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in Ireland, Richard O’Mara was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 14 years in prison (final two years suspended).
- Sex Offenders Register: Subject to post-release supervision and notification requirements.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at the Central Criminal Court following a trial conviction.
- Criminal Record: Convicted of two counts of rape of a schoolgirl.
- Origin: Walnut Avenue, Kingswood, Tallaght, Dublin (Offence in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare).
Monitoring and Public Protection
O’Mara is managed by the Irish Prison Service and An Garda Síochána upon his eventual release. Due to the “vicious” and predatory nature of the rapes in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, his management is subject to high-level oversight by the Probation Service.
As a convicted sex offender, O’Mara must comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence. Authorities state that his history of utilizing deceit and violence to target a teenager necessitates permanent and stringent monitoring of his conduct. Any further sexual misconduct or breach of his strict suspension conditions in Clare, Dublin, or elsewhere will result in immediate arrest and the activation of the final two years of his 14-year prison term.
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