Ballinasloe paramedic jailed for eight years over rape of vulnerable woman

A Ballinasloe paramedic who raped a vulnerable young woman almost 40 years ago has been jailed for eight years and six months.

65 year old John Joseph Devaney of Clonberne was convicted of rape and indecent assault following a trial at the Central Criminal Court last December.

In her victim impact statement read out in court previously, the woman said the man was “bad” and had hurt her in October 1985, and she felt “scared”, “sick”, “dirty”, “confused”, “embarrassed” and “sad” afterwards.

The court heard today that the complainant wishes for Devaney to be named, but wants to maintain her anonymity.

The victim, who is deaf, attended the court proceedings remotely and was assisted by sign language interpreters.

A number of psychological reports were handed to the court previously, which outlined that the woman has certain vulnerabilities.

The offence took place on a date between September and November 1985 in a rural location, when the victim was then 24, and Devaney was 26.

The woman told the court that Devaney pulled up alongside her, took her into his vehicle and then to a mobile home, where he removed her clothes and raped her.

A family member made a complaint to Gardaí in 2014 and Devaney was arrested in 2017 – he replied, “that’s news to me” after caution.

When interviewed, he denied any wrongdoing, and he now does not accept the verdict of the jury and continues to maintain his innocence.

Ms Justice Karen O’Connor said the offending was “egregious in nature” and imposed a sentence of eight years and six months in relation to the rape charge.

She also imposed a sentence of six years on the indecent assault charge, with both sentences to run concurrently