A “predator” who raped two mentally impaired brothers has been sentenced to eight years at the Central Criminal Court with the final two suspended.

The 22-year-old Mayo man, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty to two counts of buggery of a mentally impaired person, on a date unknown between June 2007 and December 2008 in Mayo.

Mr Justice Paul Carney declared the man a sex offender and noted the “inherently grave nature of the offences and the predatory nature of the offence.”

Sergeant Rory Brennan told prosecuting counsel Alex Owens SC the incidents happened after pub closing time when the man brought the brothers, who are his neighbours and are aged 34 and 35, to a secluded area behind a Mayo hotel and raped them.

Both brothers have mild learning difficulties and IQs ranging from 50 to 69.

Sgt Brennan described the man as a “predator” who “took advantage of their intellectual difficulties” and added that “he hit them during the incident, which made them more afraid.”

“He realised that these peo ple had mental difficulties and that they were easy targets,” he said.

Sgt Brennan said he was contacted by the mother of the two men in December 2008 after they told her what had happened.

He said that he had difficulty interviewing the brothers about the incident because of their difficulties, and they were referred to a garda who was specially trained in interview techniques.

The man admitted to the rape during interview and confirmed that a belt found at the scene was his.

The court heard he has a number of previous convictions, including public order offences and assault, and has spent three months in St Patrick's Institution.

Sgt Brennan agreed with defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC that the man comes from a “very modest” family background.

A victim impact statement said the incident had been “very traumatic” for the brothers, who now have a fear of being on their own, especially at night.

The court heard they had become angry, upset, embarrassed, moody and irritable since the ordeal.

Mr Gageby pointed out that the man was of low intelligence himself but admitted that he was not at the same level as his victims. Mr Justice Carney ordered the man undergo 18 months post-release supervision.