A Kildare man has been sentenced to seven and a half years for a violent sexual attack on a young woman who took her own life a year later.

20-year-old Sean Thackaberry was walking Michelle Hennessey home when he threw her over a wall and subjected her to a 20 minute-long attack. The court heard how the victim was rescued when a passing gardaí patrol heard her screams and gave chase to the accused.

Thackaberry of Maryville, Melita Road in Kildare Town pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to aggravated sexual assault.

Mr. Justice Barry White said it was difficult to ascertain the exact nature of the assault but that he was satisfied that it lay on the upper-middle range of the scale.

The court heard Ms. Hennessy, who was 26 at the time, faced intimidation and bullying in connection with the attack in the months before she took her own life.

The incident happened in Kildare Town in the early hours of January 30th in 2011.

The prosecution was unusual as the victim was not able to give evidence. The DPP was able to bring the case to court based on the accused's admissions, DNA evidence on his clothes and medical reports of Ms. Hennessy's injuries.

Sergeant Ann Thompson told prosecuting counsel Paul O'Higgins SC that Ms. Hennessy had been on a night out and was walking home with two friends.

'Upset, screaming & hysterical'

The group ran into Thackaberry and continued walking. When they came to a fork in the road, Ms. Hennessy’s friends went home in one direction and told Thackaberry to see her home in the other direction.

Ms. Hennessy was about 250 metres from home when Thackaberry threw her over a wall into a patch of waste ground. "According to the accused, what took place next amounted to an aggravated sexual assault which lasted for 20 minutes", counsel said.

A garda patrol heard the victim's screams and found her 'upset, screaming and hysterical'. Thackaberry fled and was caught after a chase on foot.

Hennessy was brought to hospital and had bruising to her face and injuries around her body and genitals. She was also covered in muck.

Thackaberry co-operated with gardaí and provided his clothing for DNA testing. He was interviewed multiple times and in the final interview he told gardaí he 'was sorry'.

A victim impact report on behalf of the victim stated she was terrified of going out after the attack. The court heard that before the incident she was a bright and bubbly woman who loved to travel and sky drive.

Defence counsel Isobel Kennedy SC said Thackaberry has a very low IQ and attended a special needs school. She said he worked as a stable hand after school and was involved in boxing - but later began drinking, using drugs and associating with inappropriate people.

He was known to gardaí from hanging around the town late at night and his victim would have known him to see, the court heard.

Thackaberry was jailed for seven and a half years with the final two and a half suspended.