A 'predatory' rapist who lured two friends back to his apartment where he drugged and raped them has been given a 12-year sentence.

Indian national Kapil Garg had promised the girls 'ecstasy' after meeting them on a night out in Dublin.

But instead gave them anti-depressant tablets with a sedative effect before raping them. 

Gardai found a stash of the tablets at his home after the girls managed to escape and alert them of the attack.

Garg has previous convictions in the United States including a battery conviction for an incident in 2004 in which he broke into the motel room of a sleeping woman and began touching her before being chased from the room.

Compensation to be returned to family

He had pleaded not guilty to raping and sexually assaulting the first woman and also denied charges of raping the second woman at his home on July 2nd 2011.

He was convicted by the jury following a 7-day trial last October.

Mr. Justice Barry White told Garg it was a pity for all concerned that he had waited until the eve of sentencing to accept responsibility for his "offensive behaviour".

He said if Garg had admitted his guilt earlier his victims would have been spared giving evidence and hearing his "untruthful testimony" during the trial.

He said he could not ignore the previous conviction in the US and said the facts tended to show if he had not been interrupted on that occasion an offence of a sexual nature would have been committed.

Mr. Justice White imposed concurrent sentences totaling 12 years and suspended the final 3 years.

He noted time in custody here would be more difficult for Garg as a foreign national who has also been registered as a sex offender.

He noted the offer by the family of the accused of €20,000 and the attitude of the women to it who indicated yesterday they were "repulsed" by the offer.

The Judge has now ordered the money be returned to Garg family.