A Galway man who “doesn't remember” raping his sister has been jailed for 4 years by the Central Criminal Court.

The 41-year-old man, who can not be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to raping his younger sibling in a County Galway town on a date in February 2011.

The man told gardaí he could not remember the attack as he had been very drunk at the time and taken “a load of D10s” or Valium tablets.

After forensic tests were carried out on his sister, he made full admissions and acknowledged that they must have had sex.

The court heard that the victim, aged in her late thirties, had been in a relationship that had broken down and had moved into her brother's bungalow just days before the offence took place.

On the morning in question, the woman got up shortly before 9am and went into the living area where she saw her brother looking “doped up”.

He got up and locked the front door, drew the curtains and started shouting at his sister to take off her clothes.

She told gardaí she felt scared so she did what he said. He then raped her twice.

In a victim impact statement read out on her behalf, the woman said she suffers from headaches, nightmares and flashbacks.

She has been admitted to psychiatric care since she was raped and has tried to end her life on a number of occasions.

Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed a seven year sentence on her brother with the final three years suspended.

The man is to undergo 18 months post release supervision and must stay away from his sister unless she consents to his presence.