Girl, 16, dumped out of car after sexual assault

A 16-year-old Cork girl became hysterical after she was dragged unconscious and in a state of undress from a car after a sex attack, and left on the side of the street.

That was the evidence given by Detective Garda Caroline Keogh at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, where the accused man was remanded in custody for sentencing on June 7.

The accused, who is now aged 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of sexually assaulting the 16-year-old girl when he was aged 19.

He told the court that he would pay her €10,000 compensation.

Detective Garda Keogh outlined the background to the attack which occurred on April 29, 2014.

The victim had been the ex-girlfriend of the accused at the time of the crime but despite this they arranged to meet and go for a spin in his car.

There was a second man in the car as well.

They drove about from lunchtime on that date through the afternoon, before travelling out to a garage a few miles outside Cork city.

The three of them met again at 6pm, having arranged to do by text.

“They again drove around and went back out to the garage and down a laneway,” Det Garda Keogh told the court.

“They pulled into a field. [The accused] got out of the car and got a Coke bottle with alcohol and got into the back of the car with [the injured party].

“He told her to drink the bottle or he would kill her or he would leave her there and drive back.”

The 19-year-old then sexually assaulted the 16-year-old when she was extremely drunk.

She was unable to stay awake and she was getting sick.

He took off her clothes except for her top and he took off his clothes except for his shirt.

“He tried to have sex with her. She kept falling over. She was extremely intoxicated,” Det Garda Keogh said.

“He tried on numerous occasions to have sex with her. She passed out. The other male in the car also sexually assaulted her.”

The court heard the second male has since fled and gardaí have been unable to locate him.

“They drove to a couple of other locations in Cork,” Det Garda Keogh said.

“At around 8pm, he pulled her out of the car on to the footpath [not far from where she lives]. She was unconscious. He took her shoes and various items of her clothing and threw them on top of her.”

Det Garda Keogh told the court a number of people soon came to the assistance of the victim who regained consciousness and became hysterical.

The defendant’s car was clearly identified after being caught on CCTV and he was later identified.

He admitted in the course of an interview that he tried to have sex with her but denied forcing her.

Consent could not arise as an issue in legal terms as she was deemed to be a child at age 16.

The girl had been in a relationship for a short period previous to this incident.

The injured party prepared a victim impact statement to be handed to the judge but she did not want it read in court.

Alice Fawsett, defending, said: “When the child was found the car was immediately identified.

“He said she asked for sex. The defendant admits the sexual assault.

“There are differences in relation to the surrounding circumstances. What he admitted to is different to the allegations made.

“She was very drunk, he tried to have sex with her, he brought her back, he dragged her out of the car and left her on the side of the road.

“He accepts all of that.”