An Irish soldier from Londonderry has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years for raping a fellow member of the Irish Defence Forces in a Dublin hotel. Kielan Mooney, 30, of Bloomfield Park, Derry, was convicted following a trial at Dublin's Central Criminal Court last December of the rape of the woman in July 2021.The judge refused to suspend any portion of Mooney's sentence after two former partners came forward to contradict testimonials given in his favour at a sentencing hearing. The victim said Mooney's actions had taken a serious toll on her mental health and had left her feeling suicidal.“What happened changed my life, I wouldn't wish it on anyone,” the victim had said in her impact statement. She described telling her family she was raped as “one of the most heartbreaking experiences”.After Mooney's conviction, mitigating factors were supplied to the court by way of affidavits which were given as character references for Mooney. They were supplied by relatives and friends, with some saying Mooney was a good father to his five children. One said “his children miss him dearly”, another described Mooney as “adoring” his children and said he was a “dedicated father”. However, the court also heard contrasting statements from the mothers of his children, emphasizing Mooney's lack of meaningful contact.One mother stated that after their breakup, Mooney did not maintain contact and that their child did not want to see him as he was “always letting them down”. She added that “I would never let him near my children now.” Another mother mentioned that he had “never paid child maintenance” and referred to instances where he had forgotten to pick up a child from playschool.Mr Justice Tony Hunt concluded that the evidence showed Mooney's duties as a father were “grossly overstated” and emphasized that the victim was a “robust person” who could not have made false allegations without just cause. Mooney showed no signs of regret or acknowledgment of his conviction. The Irish Defence Forces confirmed that Mooney's pay had been stopped and that proceedings to discharge him from the army had been initiated.