William Kavanagh raped a woman on three occasions while she slept after taking prescribed medication. The first jury acquitted him of the indecent-assault counts and could not agree on the rape counts. A second jury convicted him of three rapes; the sentencing judge said the victim’s medically induced vulnerability aggravated his culpability.

3 rapesMajority guilty verdicts after retrial.
10 yearsPrison term imposed in March 2026.
€990,720Nominal benchmark for that sentence.

Three attacks on a sleeping woman

The Central Criminal Court heard that the woman was prescribed antidepressants whose sedative effect made her sleep more heavily than normal. On three occasions in 2021, she went to bed after taking her medication and awoke to Kavanagh raping her.

After the second offence, the woman said Kavanagh smirked. She also said he told her that her medication was dangerous because he could not wake her and could have done anything to her. At sentencing, Judge Seán Gillane accepted the prosecution’s position that the smirk belittled and exploited the victim.

The two trials, stated accurately

Kavanagh was initially charged with 20 counts of indecent assault and five counts of rape. At the first trial, the jury acquitted him on all indecent-assault counts and could not agree verdicts on the rape charges. Those acquittals remain acquittals and are not recast as offending here.

At a retrial in March 2026, a different jury returned majority guilty verdicts on three rape counts. Kavanagh continued to assert his innocence after conviction. That denial is part of the court record; it does not alter the verdicts.

Sentence and earlier record

The judge selected an 11-year headline term. Taking Kavanagh’s work history and age into account, he reduced it to ten years’ imprisonment. The judge said the woman’s vulnerable condition and the effect the offending had on her willingness to take prescribed medication were aggravating features. Kavanagh was also placed on the sex offenders register.

The sentencing reports state that he had earlier convictions for breach of a safety order, harassment and criminal damage. They do not publish dates, sentences or a complete schedule, so no further details are claimed.

Chronology

  • 2021: the three rapes occur while the woman is sleeping after taking prescribed medication.
  • First trial: a jury acquits Kavanagh on the indecent-assault counts and cannot agree verdicts on the rape counts.
  • March 2026: a retrial jury convicts him by majority verdicts on three rape counts.
  • 30 March 2026: the Central Criminal Court imposes ten years’ imprisonment and reporting restrictions are lifted with the victim’s consent.
  • 2 August 2026 record check: no published appeal outcome was located.

Public-cost boundary

Using the Irish Prison Service’s 2024 average of €99,072 per available staffed prison space, the face value of a ten-year term gives a nominal capacity benchmark of €990,720.

This is not an invoice or an audited marginal cost for Kavanagh. It uses the sentence imposed, not verified time served, and does not adjust for remand, remission, release date or future annual rates. Investigation, prosecution, legal aid, court and victim-support costs are not published for this case and are not estimated.

Identity, nationality and status boundary

This file uses “of Kilmallock” because another man with the same name was sentenced in a separate Waterford case in January 2026. The located reports do not establish Kavanagh’s nationality or contain any immigration, asylum, citizenship, deportation or removal finding. None is inferred.

Sources

Record checked: 2 August 2026. Several reports share the same court-reporting material and are not presented as independent investigations. Support is available from the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline on 1800 77 8888.