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Derry man jailed for 'sustained and persistent' sexual assault
Emmett Deehan, 33, from Fahan Court was sentenced to a prison term of five years and eight months with half in custody and half on licence. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offences Register for an indefinite period of as well as a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for a period of 10 years.
Derry Crown Court
Reporter:
Court Reporter
20 Nov 2025 2:35 PM
Email:
news@derrynow.com
Derry Crown Court heard today how a 58-year-old woman was subjected to a 'sustained and persistent' sexual assault involving 'gratuitous violence' in the Brandywell area on October 27 last year.
During the sustained assault Emmett Deehan, 33, from Fahan Court, put his victim in a headlock. He then dragged her into an alleyway, sexually assaulted her, banged her head off a wall and off the ground and punched her to the face.
The court heard that such was the vicious nature of the incident that the victim's blood was found splattered on a wall and on the ground at the scene of the alleyway attack on Lecky Road.
The victim's injuries included a genital injury, extensive bruising and swelling to her face, bruising and cuts to her arms, torso and buttocks. She also sustained several scalp wounds.
A prosecution barrister told Judge Roseanne McCormick KC that the attack on the innocent woman was 'ferocious and sustained'. It occurred in the early hours of October 27 of last year as the victim was walking home along Lecky Road.
Deehan, who has 72 previous criminal convictions, approached his victim and demanded a cigarette from her. When she replied that she didn't smoke he put her into a headlock and dragged her into the alleyway.
There he covered his victim's mouth with his hand, pulled her trousers and underwear down and sexually assaulted her.
The victim told the police "I thought I was going to die" as she struggled with Deehan.
Police investigators recovered several doorbell camera footages from the scene which the prosecutor said clearly identified Deehan.
It also showed the victim with blood pouring from her head and face. After the attack the victim managed to make her way to a friend's house nearby and Deehan was shown on the footage running off when he heard a man's voice shouting from inside the house "what's wrong".
Following police appeals to the public Deehan turned himself into the police and initially denied the sexual and physical assaults. He told the police "I just hope, its disgusting what happened to that woman, I hope she's okay and whoever did it is caught. I don't think I would do something like that".
However when he was arraigned on both charges last September Deehan pleaded guilty. Nail scrapings from the defendant contained DNA from his victim and her blood was also found on his tracksuit bottoms. The woman's blood stained coat contained Deehan's DNA as did his DNA which was found on her pants.
After the attack Deehan went to his then partner's address as Rock Mills along the Strand Road. He was carrying a red rose. He was recorded on CCTV discarding his coat but it was later found in a bin by police officers.
Defence counsel for Deehan Eoghan Devlin KC said that he had been asked to express the defendant's 'shame and regret' for what he described as 'a horrendous act'.
Judge McCormick said that the victim had been totally 'vindicated' by the defendant's guilty plea and commended the woman for persisting with the case.
She sentenced Deehan to a prison term of five years and eight months with half in custody and half on licence.
He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offences Register for an indefinite period of as well as a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for a period of 10 years.
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