Published Tuesday, 07 February 2012
An ex-soldier has pleaded guilty to the oral rape and physical assault of a woma (© UTV)
However, moments after 23-year-old Gerald Verner was lead from the dock of Belfast Crown Court in handcuffs, the packed public gallery erupted in violent fury as his relatives and supporters clashed with his victim's family.
At one point, 12 uniformed officers had to physically restrain a number of people as Judge Gemma Loughran repeatedly called for the court to be cleared.
Officers had to keep the warring factions apart on the public walkway on the fourth floor at the Laganside court complex.
Following an application from defence QC Charles McCrainor, Verner pleaded guilty to charges that he orally raped, falsely imprisoned, threatened to kill and caused actual bodily harm to the women 6 February, 2011.
After prosecuting QC Christine Smith offered no evidence on two charges of rape and sexual assault, Judge Loughran directed the jury to acquit Verner on those particular charges.
During her opening the previous day, she told the jury how Verner took the woman prisoner in his Forthriver Park home and that during the terrifying ordeal, he sexually attacked her, threatened to kill her and punched and kicked her in the face.
The accused was partially deafened in an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan during his time as a soldier.
As Verner entered guilty pleas on Tuesday to five of the seven charges against him, she sat just feet away in the public gallery continually wiping tears from her eyes as a male relative comforted her.
Remanding him into custody, Judge Loughran adjourned passing sentence until March once pre-sentence reports and a victim impact statement have been completed.