Man gets 12 years for attacks on two women

A homeless English alcoholic - who scavenged for food in supermarket bins - has been jailed for 12 years by Mr Justice Paul Carney for savage attacks on two north Dublin women.

Patrick Fogarty, of no fixed abode but with relatives in Tipperary, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to aggravated sexual assault, false imprisonment and assault causing harm to a woman in Malahide, on the nights of April 21-22 and April 24-25, 2007.

The Wolverhampton-born man, who has been homeless for more than half his life and became black from not washing, also admitted attacking a school teacher on Velvet Strand, Portmarnock on April 24, 2007.

Detective Garda Brian Pentony told prosecuting counsel, Ms Martina Baxter BL, that 43-year-old Fogarty had British convictions for assault causing harm, possessing a blade, criminal damage and theft.

He declined social welfare when he came to Ireland in 2005, so that he wouldn’t have money for drink, and scavenged for food in supermarket bins.

Det Gda Pentony agreed with defence counsel, Mr Luán Ó Braonáin SC, that a local man used to leave food out for him and gave him €350 to visit his aunt in Tipperary but, instead, he "went on a four-day bender" and attacked the women.

Mr Justice Carney directed that Fogarty’s name be added to the register of sexual offenders and ordered that he undergo 10 years post-release supervision.

He also imposed concurrent sentences of seven years for the kidnap charge and four years on each of the assault charges.

Det Gda Pentony said the Malahide woman’s ordeal began when she was woken on the night of April 21-22 after a grinning Fogarty came in, uninvited, to her residence with a dog and said: "It’s me, Paddy."

She screamed and he told her that if she did what he said, he wouldn’t hurt her. Fogarty then tried to have sex with her and repeatedly hit her over the head while sexually assaulting her.

Det Gda Pentony said the woman thought she was going to be raped and killed.

The assault lasted all night. They left together the following morning and, when he jumped over a wall, she ran to a friend’s house. She showed gardaí his hat and the string with which he had tied her.

Det Gda Pentony said a 25-year-old teacher was walking along the beach at Portmarnock on the evening of April 24, when Fogarty struck her with a glass bottle and tried to drag her into bushes.

He had her in a headlock with his hand over her mouth, but when she bit him, broke free and shouted, Fogarty then ran along the beach to his first victim’s residence in Malahide, and told her: "You’re mine now. I’m staying here with you."

"She was rigid with fear," Det Gda Pentony told Ms Baxter.

Fogarty then tied her up and abused her all night. Every time she said "no", he hit her over the head. When she said someone might come in the morning to check on her, he dragged her out into bushes, where he tied her up again, but she escaped and ran to the garda station.

Det Gda Pentony agreed with Mr Ó Braonáin that Fogarty handed himself into Malahide garda station in November 2007.

Mr Ó Braonáin told Mr Justice Carney that Fogarty had inherited an alcohol problem from one of his parents and a psychiatric illness from the other.