HALIFAX RAPIST CLAIMED HE WAS FORCED TO ATTACK SLEEPING WOMAN AFTER BEING 'POSSESSED BY GHOST'
Ciaran McDonagh assaulted a woman within her own residence.A man sexually assaulted a woman while she was asleep and subsequently surrendered to police, claiming that a ghost had possessed him.
During the hearing at Bradford Crown Court on Friday, it was revealed that McDonagh, aged 21, committed the assault following a night of alcohol consumption and smoking cannabis at the victim’s home.
The court was told that McDonagh, who was 20 at the time, raped her after she had gone to bed.
The woman reported to officers that she woke up to see a figure at the foot of her bed with his shorts and trousers lowered.
She stated that McDonagh, from Hopwood Lane, then left her property and blocked her phone number but later confessed to the rape.
Prosecutor David Outerside explained that McDonagh, from Halifax, presented himself to police in November last year and told officers he had raped someone in November 2023.
He recounted that on October 3, 2024, McDonagh went to Halifax Police Station around midday, approached the help desk, and admitted he had raped a woman while she was sleeping, claiming that he had been possessed by a ghost.
McDonagh reportedly said, 'I can't believe I have done this.' The same day, police visited the victim’s home and informed her of the confession.
She recognized the details and agreed to a video interview the following day.
It was disclosed that McDonagh had previously confided in his housing support worker, stating that he had raped someone, felt a force had taken over his body, and that he was experiencing nightmares.
During her police interview, the woman recounted the assault, describing waking up to find McDonagh at the foot of her bed with his clothing down.
She managed to leave the room quickly and saw him run out of her house, disappearing from sight.
She later discovered that he had blocked her calls and, around six months earlier, encountered him in the street, where he apologized and admitted to raping her.
The court noted that in his interview, McDonagh spoke of hearing voices.
He claimed: 'I froze because I was in this room with a girl who was asleep, so I thought the best thing was to go home, but I don't know, something just stopped me, I couldn't control myself...' He explained that since childhood, he had heard voices instructing him, which he ignored, but on the night of the incident, he felt controlled and possessed by a ghost.
His Honour Judge Nadim clarified that McDonagh did not have any mental health impairments at the time of the offence or currently.
He pleaded guilty to one count of rape.
It was stated that he had no prior convictions except for an unrelated caution.
In her victim statement, the woman expressed her desire to block out the experience and move forward.
The prosecutor highlighted that her safe feeling in her home was shattered by the attack, leading to the deterioration of her mental health and her decision not to engage in relationships or allow men into her residence.
She also noted that recounting the assault during police interviews forced her to relive the trauma.
Defence barrister Daniel Ingham stated that since his confession and initial remand, McDonagh’s parents had not visited him and had asked him to leave the family home.
He argued that McDonagh was remorseful, understood the wrongfulness of his actions, and accepted the need for punishment.
Ingham added that McDonagh, a young man who missed his parents, expressed regret and wished to apologize again, fully accepting responsibility.
Judge Nadim sentenced McDonagh to three and a half years in prison, with a lifelong requirement to register as a sex offender.
