Man put on probation for a year after sex assault

A man who sexually assaulted a 17-year-old schoolgirl, who was working alone in a small country shop, and later followed and accosted her in his van as she walked home, has been placed on probation for a year.

John Ring, aged 47, of 35 Dunbeag, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, initially pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the transition year student at the shop in north Galway on July 22, 2014, when he appeared for trial before Galway Circuit Criminal Court in December.

He also denied a second charge of harassing the girl while she walked home along a country lane later that day.

After the trial got under way, Ring changed his plea to guilty to sexual assault. That plea was accepted by Conor Fahy, prosecuting, on behalf of the DPP, on the basis that facts in the harassment charge were admitted.

Ring was rearraigned and pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charge, before adding: “I plead guilty but I did just rub her shoulder.”

Sentence was adjourned to yesterday for preparation of a psychological report and probation report on Ring, along with a victim impact statement.

Garda Tom Doyle told the sentence hearing that the girl had just completed transition year and had turned 17 two days before this attack.

Garda Doyle said the girl had received counselling after the attack and she continues to be wary and nervous of people, especially men, if they come too close to her.

Referring to his client’s psychological report, Eoin Garavan, defending, said Ring showed a great deal of immaturity and a lack of real insight into his wrongdoing at the time of the offence, whatever about now.

He said Ring’s remorse was now genuine and he had brought €2,000 to court as a token of that remorse.

Ring, Mr Garavan said, has a 15-year-old daughter and an ex-partner, both of whom no longer speak to him due to this offence.

Mr Garavan said this appeared to be a once-off and his client would pose no risk to other young women in the future.

Judge Rory McCabe said this had been a disturbing and sinister incident. On one level, he said, it might be viewed as relatively harmless physical contact and relatively minimal physical force, but on another level, it could be viewed as frightening, deliberate, sustained, unsolicited, and uninvited.

“It was an outrageous series of acts that were high-handed, threatening and invasive of her privacy,” said the judge, adding that the offence merited a four-year sentence.

However, referring to the psychological and probation reports before the court, the judge said Ring had “a complex and troubled background” and was viewed as a low risk of reoffending.

He said he would not finalise sentence.

Judge McCabe placed Ring on probation for 12 months and said the length of the sentence he would serve after that would depend on his willingness to engage with the probation service in the interim.

He directed that Ring continue to receive counselling and have no contact whatsoever with the girl or her family.