Irish man sentenced to nine years for raping former partner, starting when she was 16.

Martin Harte, 33, of Portarlington, Ireland, was sentenced to nine years in prison with one year suspended indefinitely for raping his former partner, Chloe Loran, whom he began dating when she was 16. He pleaded guilty to defilement in 2013 and two rapes in 2019 and 2022, the latter occurring at her home during Easter Sunday 2022. Loran described the assaults as life-altering, saying she felt like she had been murdered and her sense of self destroyed. She reported the 2022 rape after waking to being assaulted and recorded Harte apologizing. Though she was examined at a sexual assault unit, initial police action stalled. Judge Tony Hunt cited the breach of trust, crime location, and lasting harm, setting a headline sentence of 14 years reduced to 12 due to mitigating factors. The suspended year aims to protect the public and support rehabilitation, alongside a four-year post-release supervision order.