A Polish national who sexually assaulted a Galway woman last year has been given a 30 months sentence by Mr Justice John Edwards at the Central Criminal Court.
Tomasz Wojtaniec (46 ) with an address at The Mayfly Inn, Oughterard, County Galway, was convicted by a jury earlier this month of sexually assaulting the woman as she walked home from a pub on May 9 2007.
Mr Justice Edwards suspended the final 10 months of the sentence and backdated it to when Wojtaniec went into custody 15 months ago.
The jury found him not guilty of assault causing her harm on the same occasion and Mr Justice Edwards had earlier directed the jury to find him not guilty of robbing the woman of €120 on the same night.
Wojtaniec had denied the charges at his nine-day trial and gave evidence in his own defence. The jury deliberated for some 11 hours and spent two nights in a hotel.
Mr Justice Edwards took into account the effect on the victim who according to a report has nightmares and has lost her trust in men.
Mr Justice Edwards also noted letters from the accused’s employer who said Wojtaniec was a "honest and reliable worker" and would have a job waiting for him on his release.
A letter from his wife who lives in Poland with their child appealed for leniency and said the incident had caused her to lose her will to live.
