Three youths who were part of a gang who raped a woman in Limerick last January and badly beat her male companion during the ordeal have been placed in a segregated area for their own protection in prison after one of them was beaten by fellow inmates.
The three were sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in July to terms of imprisonment of between eight and 10 years at St Patrick's Institution. A fourth youth, who was under 16 at the time of the attack, was sentenced to four years at Trinity House, near Lusk, Co Dublin.
The 35-year-old woman's partner was locked in the boot of his car by the four youths before the rapes took place in the vehicle in the early hours of January 23rd at Cratloe Woods, Co Limerick.
The gang, three aged 16 and one aged 15, taunted the man as they attacked his partner. "We're raping your bird," one of the four told him. One of them also laughed in the woman's face and asked her for a kiss, while an accomplice was raping her.
The male victim was badly beaten by the gang members, who used a shovel, wheel brace, screwdriver and golf club to assault him.
He fought the gang a number of times during the attack, which lasted over an hour. Following the rapes he managed to kick his way out of the car boot and held one of the youths until gardaí arrived.
The three at St Patrick's Institution are Thomas O'Neill (16), Darragh Ryan (16), both of Lenihan Avenue, Limerick, and Dean Barry (16), of Garrglass, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick. The youngest gang member was Jason Ring (15), Crecora Avenue, Ballinacurra.
O'Neill was identified as the ringleader and was given the longest sentence for the rape, 10 years. Barry was jailed for nine years, Ryan for eight, and Ring for four.
Ryan was transferred to Wheatfield Prison, Dublin, in the first week of October. However, he was badly beaten by inmates there because of the nature of his conviction.
He was treated in Tallaght Hospital, where he was kept in overnight. The next day he was transferred back to St Patrick's Institution.
