He met the victim at Shop Street, Galway, at about 3am and bought her a rose before raping her at Upper Canal Road. He pleaded not guilty to raping and orally raping the victim, now 24, and claimed they had consensual sex.

Mr Justice Barry White certified Kovalenko for inclusion on the register of sexual offenders and ordered victim impact and probation reports.

The jury of six men and six women returned its 10-to-two majority verdict after just over seven hours' deliberation on the 10th day of the trial.

The victim told the court she met Kovalenko while walking home along a well-lit route after being at the theatre, in a pub and at a party. She described how they struck up a conversation, although he had only "pidgin English", and he gave her the impression he had come to Galway from Limerick for a weekend visit.

She said Kovalenko also indicated he had been in the Russian army and showed her a scar which he said was a war wound. He bought her a rose from a street seller and they walked along hand in hand.

The woman said Kovalenko told her he didn't know the people he was staying with very well. She assumed he was staying in a B&B. He asked her if she wanted tea or coffee and she said she had no intention of going to his place.

She said he kissed her and she returned his kiss at first before pulling away. He then grabbed her hand and pulled her down a driveway, where he raped and orally raped her.

She said she was "physically crying" when they walked back to the street and refused his offer of a taxi because she wanted to get away from him.

She walked to the hospital where she was "hysterical".