One of Ireland's most notorious rapists is back on the streets after prison release
John Connors broke into a woman's house in 2006 and raped her while her son was in an adjacent room.
Connors was freed from prison for that offence in 2019 — but he was jailed for 10 months in November of last year after the court heard he'd been residing at an address in Bray, Co. Wicklow but hadn't notified gardai.
He appeared before Bray District Court on November 7 where the sentence was imposed after he was convicted of failing to notify gardai of an address he was staying at for a qualifying period, between September 14th And October 10th, as required under the terms of the Sex Offenders Act.
John Connors
News in 90 Seconds - June 21st
Connors, originally from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, was released from the Midlands Prison on Thursday morning.
42-year-old Connors and his former pal Patrick Moorehouse (38) served 14-year jail sentences for the horrific rape of the young woman in 2006.
The two Wexford men forced their way into her house on August 31 that year and raped her while her young child was in an adjacent room. Read more
At their trial in December 2008, their victim recounted how the two men forced their way into her home.
They had called at her door asking if she wanted to buy a camcorder.
Her young child was in the living room when she was pushed into a bedroom and Moorehouse punched her.
She was pushed on to the bed and a piece of rope that was on the floor was wrapped around her neck.
Connors held the rope while Moorehouse raped her and then the men swapped places.
The court heard the mother dared not make much noise as she was conscious of her child in the living room, who was unaware of what was happening.
The two rapists dressed and left after threatening her not to tell anybody what had happened.
Both Connors and Moorehouse both later denied the rapes in court.
They were both unanimously convicted of rape by a jury in the Central Criminal Court in 2008.
After he was released from custody for that offence in 2019, Connors continued to offend.
In April 2023, Connors was jailed for 10 months at Wexford Circuit Court over a spree of thefts he committed the previous June.
On June 29, 2022, Connors broke into a building at Ballydawmore, Tinnacross, Enniscorthy, Wexford for the purposes of theft.
That same day, or the following day, at Ballybeg Great, Screen, Co Wexford, Connors stole an Ifor Williams Trailer valued at €5,000.
And, on June 30, 2022, at Drumgoold Villas, Enniscorthy, he handled a stolen yellow strimmer knowing that the property was stolen or was reckless as to whether it was stolen.
On July 6 2023, at Gorey District Court, he had an additional five months added to his 10 month sentence when he was convicted of stealing an MCM single axle trailer to the value of €1,750 at Coonogue Ballymurphy Carlow on June 24, 2022.
It's understood that following his release from prison on Thursday, Connors returned to his native Wexford.
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