Tralee man sentenced to 12½ years for rape and assault

A 32‑year‑old man from Market Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry, has been sentenced to 12‑and‑a‑half years in prison for raping and assaulting his former partner.

Krystian Zahnoj was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in Cork of rape and assault causing harm on a date in 2022, and of assault causing harm and coercive control during a relationship spanning 2019 to 2021.

The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave a victim impact statement describing PTSD, counselling and the difficulty of the court process. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the extensive suffering and the intrusive nature of cross‑examination.

Zahnoj, who has 22 prior convictions for minor drug, road‑traffic and public‑order offences, received a headline sentence of 13 years, with the court imposing a 12‑year‑six‑month term, back‑dated to his custody date. He was also given a five‑year post‑release supervision order and a ban on any contact with the victim.

The court heard that after the relationship ended, Zahnoj forced entry into the victim’s home in 2022, assaulted her and then raped her, an aggravating factor highlighted by the judge.

Defence counsel noted Zahnoj moved to Ireland from Poland ten years ago and is now in a new relationship, but the judge found no mitigation due to his lack of remorse.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Malcolm Hill / Pexels.