A woman who claims her husband raped her in their Dublin home on Christmas Day 2003 has denied having consensual sex with him afterwards.
She was being cross-examined by his barrister after giving evidence in his trial before the Central Criminal Court.
The woman also insists she repeatedly said “NO” while he sexually assaulted her on their sofa as their children slept upstairs.
The court heard the alleged victim returned to her home with her husband and their young children at around 6pm on Christmas Day 2003 having spent the day visiting relatives.
She told the jury the kids played with their toys before her husband put them to bed a few hours later.
She said she had up to seven glasses of wine throughout the day but denied she was drunk. She said her husband had quite a few beers when he returned home.
She said she fell asleep on the couch and was awoken by her husband pulling gently on her shoulder to turn her around.
She said she repeatedly told him “NO” but that he persisted and had sex with her against her will.
She said she went to bed afterwards and confronted him about it in the morning by just asking “why” – to which she claims he said “I don't know”.
Under cross-examination today, defence barrister Patrick Gageby put it to her that she had consensual sex with her husband on a number of occasions after the alleged rape.
She insisted that wasn’t the case. She said they tried twice but she just couldn’t forget what happened.
She accepted they went on a city break the day after the alleged rape but said they slept in separate beds. She also said they slept in separate rooms in the family home until she eventually packed his bags and asked him to leave.
While he was there, she said she used to barricade herself into her bedroom by pushing a chest of drawers in front of the door.
Mr. Gageby put it to her that she wasn’t asleep when he came downstairs on the night in question. He suggested she was sitting on the couch with a drink.
She denied that was the case, and also told him he was incorrect to suggest she didn't object when her husband started fondling her and that he didn't exercise any force whatsoever.
The accused, who’s in his 40s and is entitled to anonymity, denies the charges.
