A victim of marital rape has said ‘it has felt like my mouth was glued closed’ as she feared she would not be believed and that her reputation would be destroyed by her ex-husband’s ‘false allegations to Tusla and the guards’.
Tracey Jessop made her comments as part of her victim impact statement in the sentencing hearing of her former husband, Joseph Jessop, who was jailed for ten years yesterday.
Ms Jessop waived her right to anonymity so Jessop, formerly of Newtown, Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath, could be named.
After a trial at the Central Criminal Court last May, a jury convicted Jessop, 45, of rape and oral rape of his estranged wife on February 2, 2021.
He was also convicted of raping her on March 29, 2021, and of assault causing her harm in November 2020. He had denied all the charges.
Detective Garda David Mead told prosecution counsel Paul Carroll that the couple met while in their teens, got married in 2008 and had six children.
They established and ran a business together, but by 2018, the relationship was coming to an end. They continued to share the same house but were pursuing new relationships, the court heard.
The first assault took place in the family home and began as a row. Jessop grabbed her by the hair, pinned her down and punched her around five times to the back of her head and headbutted her. She was hospitalised and sustained swelling to her face, a cut over her ear and a bruise to the back of her head.
In his evidence to the jury, Jessop claimed...
A victim of marital rape has said ‘it has felt like my mouth was glued closed’ as she feared she would not be believed and that her reputation would be destroyed by her ex-husband’s ‘false allegat...