Notorious criminal is found after gardai listed him as a missing person for nine days
The 42-year-old from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford – who vanished after being sighted in the Dunmore Road area of Waterford City at approximately 10.30pm on Wednesday, August 27 – was located by gardai on Friday last.
It’s not the first time Connors has disappeared from the state’s radar.
He was released from the Midlands Prison in mid-June after serving eight months behind bars for failing to notify gardai of his whereabouts.
Connors originally came to public attention when he broke into a woman’s house in 2006 and raped her while her young daughter was in an adjacent room.
He was freed from prison for that offence in 2019 — but he was jailed for 10 months in November of 2024 after the court heard he’d been residing at an address in Bray, Co. Wicklow but hadn’t notified gardai.
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Gardai asked for help in finding John Connors
He appeared before Bray District Court on November 7th last where the sentence was imposed after he was convicted of failing to notify gardai of an address he was staying at for a qualifying period, between September 14th And October 10th, as required under the terms of the Sex Offenders Act.
The 42-year-old and his former pal Patrick Moorehouse (38) served 14-year jail sentences for the horrific rape of the young woman in 2006.
The two Wexford men forced their way into her house on August 31 that year and raped her while her young child was in an adjacent room.
At their trial in December 2008, their victim recounted how the two men forced their way into her home.
They had called at her door asking if she wanted to buy a camcorder.
Her young child was in the living room when she was pushed into a bedroom and Moorehouse punched her.
She was pushed on to the bed and a piece of rope that was on the floor was wrapped around her neck.
Connors held the rope while Moorehouse raped her and then the men swapped places.
The court heard the mother dared not make much noise as she was conscious of her child in the living room, who was unaware of what was happening.
The two rapists dressed and left after threatening her not to tell anybody what had happened.
Both Connors and Moorehouse both later denied the rapes in court.
Gardai asked for help in finding John Connors
The woman told the trial that her two-year-old daughter was in the next room so she remained quiet throughout the hour long attack.
In a victim impact statement she said she did not know if she would get out of the room alive but she did all in her power to protect her daughter by not putting up a fight.
She said she left her home after the attack and did not return because she was afraid the men would find her, as they had threatened to do so.
Mr Justice George Bermingham said the case was really quite shocking and he said the men showed no signs of remorse or contrition.
He said the violent attack was carried out in the victim’s home, which was the one place she should have felt safe.
The court heard that both men were married and their families were supporting them.
Mr Justice Bermingham said while all rape was a violent crime this was at the higher end of the scale.
He sentenced them each to 14 years and directed that they be supervised for ten years after their release.
After he was released from custody for that offence in 2019, Connors continued to offend.
In April 2023, he was jailed for 10 months at Wexford Circuit Court over a spree of thefts he committed the previous June.
On June 29, 2022, he broke into a building at Ballydawmore, Tinnacross, Enniscorthy, Wexford for the purposes of theft.
That same day, or the following day, at Ballybeg Great, Screen, Co Wexford, Connors stole an Ifor Williams Trailer valued at €5,000.
And, on June 30, 2022, at Drumgoold Villas, Enniscorthy, he handled a stolen yellow strimmer knowing that the property was stolen or was reckless as to whether it was stolen.
On July 6 2023, at Gorey District Court, he had an additional five months added to his 10 month sentence when he was convicted of stealing an MCM single axle trailer to the value of €1,750 at Coonogue Ballymurphy Carlow on June 24, 2022.
It’s understood that following his release from prison in June Connors returned to his native Wexford.
According to a missing person’s notice circulated by gardai last week, Connors was wearing a black t-shirt and navy chinos when he had last been seen on August 27th.
In a statement, a spokesperson said gardaí and John’s family were “concerned for his well-being.”
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John Connors turned up after nine days
News in 90 seconds – 7th September 2025