Witnesses: Girl, 15, flirted with accused man

A 15-year-old girl, who claims she was sexually assaulted at a birthday party was drunk flirting with her alleged attacker, Limerick Circuit Court heard yesterday.

Gerard O’Riordan, aged 24, of 6 Crescent Villas, Limerick, denies sexually assaulting the girl at the party, which took place on Aug 10, 2007, when he was 18.

In evidence, the alleged victim said she awoke at one point in an apartment at Thomond Student Village and her jeans had been removed and the accused had his finger in her vagina.

She denied flirting with the accused during the party or encouraging him. She said she was tipsy, when she went for a lie down in a room in the flat. She also denied laying on a couch watching TV with her legs stretched across the accused, moving her leg between his legs.

Three other girls yesterday gave evidence of seeing the alleged victim with the accused during the party and she was flirting with him.

Two recalled seeing her lay across a couch with her legs across Mr O’Riordan’s and one said she saw him move her foot in between Mr O’Riordan’s legs. He told the girl to stop this and watch TV.

One of the girls said the 15-year-old girl was drunk and she saw her legs across Mr O’Riordan’s on a couch. She agreed with defence counsel Mark Nicholas that this was an intimate gesture by the 15-year-old.

Another girl said she saw the alleged victim sit on Mr O’Riordan’s lap while she was having a drink. She saw the alleged victim with the accused on a balcony and she seemed more interested in talking to Mr O’Riordan than anybody else.

The following day she asked the accused about the alleged incident and he said he put his hand on her and she shrugged and he took it away.

The trial continues before a judge and jury.