Sex offender told woman to give him her underwear

A convicted sex offender who harassed his neighbour by following her into her apartment and ordering her to give him her underwear is to be sentenced later.

Padraig Hopkins, aged 41, who has been on the sex offenders’ register since he was sentenced to four years in jail in 2008 over charges of false imprisonment and sexual assault, also took the woman’s bra and knickers from the laundry room in the apartment block and wore them before asking her what she thought.

Hopkins, of The Glen, Waterford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to harassing Rutha Sventriata on June 26, 2014, at Leinster Rd in Rathmines.

Garda Paul O’Hara told Fionnula O’Sullivan, prosecuting, that when Ms Sventriata arrived home from work, she saw Hopkins at the front door. He followed her into her apartment and screamed at her to give him her underwear. He ran away when she screamed at him.

Hopkins, who has 16 previous convictions, claimed he was sexually assaulted as a child and that female underwear formed part of the abuse he suffered.

Judge Martin Nolan noted the psychological report showed Hopkins to be a “very damaged human through no fault of his own”.

He said he will give the defence until June to come up with a suitable course for Hopkins to attend.

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