Five year sentence for false imprisonment and assault

A five-year jail sentence was imposed today on a man who lay in wait for women using toilets at a bar and a fast food restaurant in Cork.

John English (aged 25) of Ardbhaile, Mayfield, Cork, falsely imprisoned and assaulted one woman at McDonald's, Daunt Square, Cork, and half an hour later he did exactly the same thing at Clancy's Bar on Marlboro Street.

"To isolate persons in a toilet and to go at them in this way is frightening for them and worrying for society," Judge Sean O'Donnabhain said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

He jailed English for five years on the charges of falsely imprisoning the women and imposed three-year concurrent sentences on charges of assault causing harm to them.

Detective Sergeant Lawrence O'Brien who investigated the cases said that video evidence was used to link English to the two places at around 8.30pm on Monday December 16 last.

At McDonald's English concealed himself in a cubicle in the ladies' toilets.

A 33-year-old woman came into the toilet to find English peering out over the top.

He came out and approached her.

She turned away and went to leave.

He caught her and she managed to get to an outer door and screamed for help. He fled on foot.

Later the same evening he tampered with the lock on one of two cubicles in the toilets at Clancy's Bar and he hid in the second cubicle.

A 27-year-old woman went to the toilet where the door was broken. English forced his way in and assaulted the woman who had been sitting on the toilet.

Again she managed to get away after English had attempted to force his way on top of her.

Defence barrister, Tim O'Leary, said the defendant had a lot of drink and had taken an ecstasy tablet and had little recollection of what he did.