Man jailed for sexual assault on woman after bingo

The man who sexually assaulted and threatened to kill a woman in her 60s who was on her way home from bingo in Charleville in North Cork was jailed for 10 years yesterday.

“You physically dragged her, punched her, threatened to kill her and sexually assaulted her — a nasty sexual assault which comes into the category of disgusting and revolting for a lady of her years,” said Judge Patrick J Moran.

Judge Moran imposed an eight-year jail sentence on Liam Smith, of Batt Donegan Place, Charleville, Co Cork, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on the three charges, namely that on Sept 18, 2011, he sexually assaulted the woman, and two separate counts of threatening to kill her with the intention of making her believe that he would carry out the threat to kill her.

The judge also revoked a suspension on a two-year sentence for Smith where he assaulted a young man by throwing a gas cylinder at the back of the man’s head as he walked down the street, knocking him unconscious.

Garda Gary Costello told the court yesterday: “On Sunday, Sept 18, 2011, at 9.50pm, a 62-year-old lady was walking home from bingo in Charleville.

“She sensed someone following her and looked around.

“She was immediately punched from behind in the side of the head… She was then grabbed by both wrists and dragged into the driveway of his house. She offered the defendant her belongings but was ignored.

“She was dragged in by a house and a sensor light came on. She started to scream for help. The defendant leaned over her and said, ‘If you don’t stop screaming I will kill you’.

“She was again caught by the wrists and dragged further up the driveway. Her tracksuit and underwear came down and her top and bra went up exposing her breasts. He threatened her six or seven times, ‘Don’t scream or I will kill you’.”

The man then sexually assaulted the woman for a number of minutes.

“When he finished he started to punch her in the face and head… He ran down the driveway but returned again shortly after. She thought he was coming back to kill her.”

The woman’s victim impact statement was read by Garda Costello.

“I go downstairs and turn on all the lights. When I am satisfied everything is as it should be, I check that my personal protection alarm is working. I am often still up at 5am,” she wrote. “I could have coped with him beating me. I cannot comprehend why he sexually assaulted me. It gets me down and makes me feel so sad… Liam Smith’s invasion of my body disgusts me.”

The victim said that with the love of friends and in particular her family she was getting through it. “I do not feel embarrassed or ashamed. I have done nothing wrong. I hold my head up high and I will survive.”

Smith said from the witness box: “I am deeply sorry for putting the woman through this ordeal. I was out of control on drink and drugs. I know it is no excuse. I will have remorse for the rest of my life.”

The woman left the courtroom when Smith was in the witness box.