Parents recognised son from ‘Crimecall’ footage

A Cavan man who “lurked” in the ladies toilets of a McDonald’s before trying to sexually assault a woman turned himself in after his parents saw him on Crimecall.

Adrian Smith, aged 33, of Curkish, Bailieborough, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and attempted sexual assault of a woman in McDonald’s on Grafton St on June 14, 2014. He will be sentenced in July.

Garda Siobhan Murray told Karl Finnegan, prosecuting, the woman tried to reason with Smith on two occasions and told him it was not worth the hassle as they were in a public place and he would be caught. As she started to scream, he told her to shut up.

She called for help, causing Smith to punch her in the face. Smith then unbolted the door and left the toilets.

On September 22, 2014, footage from the restaurant was broadcast on RTÉ’s Crimecall. Smith’s parents recognised their son and woke him up to tell him. Later that evening, Smith contacted Bailieborough Garda Station and identified himself as the suspect on the programme. He said he had no recollection of the event.

Michael Bowman, defending, said the accused had travelled with a number of his work colleagues to an event in Dublin on the night and had no recollection of the incident.