Man attacked two women on street in space of one hour

A young woman who stopped to give a young man directions in Cork was attacked and dragged up a lane. He ordered her to kiss him as he prised her legs apart and she feared she was about to be raped and murdered.

Detective Garda Colin Greenway said it was one of two attacks on women committed within less than an hour by the same man. The second attack became sexual after the initial physical violence.

In both cases, he said he was down from Dublin, had become separated from his friends and needed directions to Shandon Street.

The second of the two incidents occurred shortly after a young woman crossed Nano Nagle footbridge from Grand Parade to Sullivan’s Quay after coming off a night shift. Det Garda Greenway said as she began to tell him how to get there he punched her five times in the head and dragged her a short distance up Sober Lane.

He warned: “If you keep screaming I will slit your fucking throat.” He later asked her if she wanted to live when she said he could take her money.

He also prised her legs apart and told her he wanted a kiss and she agreed hoping that this would stop him getting more violent. He then told her he wanted “a proper fucking kiss”.

Another man passed the opening to the laneway and the attacker fled the scene at this point and the man who arrived on the scene arranged to get the victim to hospital. The attacker was identified as Dylan Byrne, aged 20, of 41 Embassy Manor, Kill, Co Kildare.

He said he accepted whatever the victims said but could not remember the incidents. He later pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the student at Sullivan’s Quay in Cork and assault causing harm to her. He also admitted assault causing harm to another woman on the same occasion, November 3, 2013, at Bridge Street, 40 minutes earlier.

The attack in that case was physical and again he threatened to slit her throat.

When someone arrived on the scene he fled. The victim got into her car but was so shaken and terrified she was not even able to start the car. As she tried to compose herself Byrne arrived back outside the car and looked menacingly through the window. She managed to drive away.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said: “The manner in which this happened, both in the same night, is very worrying. Same modus operandi on the same night. Knowing he was to be investigated by the Probation Service he did not attend. That is also worrying.”

Defence barrister Peter O’Flynn, said: “He was living at an apartment in Shandon Street. He broke up with his girlfriend that day. He consumed a cocktail of drink and drugs after having been off drink and drugs for a period of a year before that.”

Byrne previously lived in Cork and was about to return to live there again when the offences were committed. The judge said: “I am going to remand this man in custody until next term for sentencing.”

The case was adjourned until June 12.

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