A man who raped his wife in their Dublin home and beat her with a hammer is due to be sentenced this morning.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his estranged wife, was also convicted of threatening to kill her after she got a barring order.

During the the three-week trial, the court heard heard how their marriage began to fall apart following the birth of their son.

Last month, the 42-year-old man was also found guilty of making several threats against her, including one while holding a knife, and of beating her and her mother with a hammer.

In April 2014, she told him she wanted a separation but said he refused to accept that their marriage was over.

The following month, she said he threatened her with a knife before forcing her to have sex with him.

It was not until he attacked both her and her mother with a hammer on August 7, 2014 that she decided to tell gardaí about the rape.

In her Victim Impact Statement last week, she said she found it hard to even use the word “rape”.

“That night will stay with me forever,” she said.

In a letter addressed to the court, her husband apologised for the hammer attack, but made no reference to any of the other charges.

He also said he wanted his wife to know about the psychological pain and trauma that are now his constant companions.