A man who raped a teenage schoolgirl twice within 24 hours has been given a 64-month sentence.
Darren Clarke, 22, from Beechmount Grove in west Belfast, previously entered guilty pleas to a total of four offences committed on 31 January 2018.
These included two counts of rape, one attempted rape and one of assault.
Judge Neil Rafferty KC praised the victim’s “bravery and persistence” in making sure Clarke ultimately faced justice.
He said his sentence would be served equally between prison and supervised licence conditions
The judge told the victim, who watched the court proceedings at Newry Crown Court by videolink, that she now had the “gold standard of vindication” as Clarke had confessed his own guilt.
‘Should have felt safe’
He outlined how Clarke, who was 18 at the time of the attacks, had been at the victim’s house when there was an argument over his dead mother.
The victim tried to close the door but Clarke shoved it open, before raping the 17-year-old.
The judge said there was “toing and froing on social media”, before “the second rape” later that day.
Addressing the harm Clarke had caused, the judge said the victim’s family felt compelled to move out of their home which had many happy memories, but which had been “tainted” by the attack in the very place she should have felt most safe.
The teenager had to resit exams and that had meant her university plans had been delayed by a year and still to the present day, “she struggles to let her guard down with people”.
The court heard Clarke did plead guilty, although it was not at the earliest opportunity, and had expressed remorse.
In addition to jailing Clarke, the judge ordered him to sign the police sex offenders register for life and imposed a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
