Man to be sentenced for sex assault of girlfriend's 12-year-old sister

A man who sexually abused his girlfriend’s 12-year-old sister after a party in her house will be sentenced in December at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The Romanian man claimed afterwards that he had no recollection of the incident because he was too drunk.

Judge Desmond Hogan said he accepted the man was “out of it on drink and didn’t know what he was doing” but that it was still a serious offence. He said he wants to know the man’s likelihood of reoffending and adjourned the case after ordering a probation report.

Judge Hogan said he is not ruling out a custodial sentence but may consider imposing community service if the man is deemed suitable. He remanded the man on continuing bail.

The 29-year-old man pleaded guilty to sexually abusing the girl in the bedroom of her Dublin home in the early hours of April 26, 2009. He works in a fast food restaurant and has no previous convictions from Ireland or Romania.

Garda Joan O’Connor told prosecuting counsel, Ms Roisin Lacey BL, that the victim’s mother was having a birthday party in her house. The man was going out with the victim’s sister at the time and arrived late at the gathering.

At the end of the night he was told he could sleep in the spare room. Sometime later the girl heard him walking around downstairs. She went down and asked him what he was doing. He grabbed her by the arm and told her to return to bed.

He followed her to her room and she told him he should get a taxi and go home. He then started to molest her outside of her clothes for around 30 seconds.

The girl asked him what he was doing and he said “sorry, sorry” before returning to the spare room. The girl immediately went to her mother and said what had happened. The mother and her partner confronted the man, and following a fight, threw him out of the house.

Gardaí were called and they arrested him the next day. In interview he said he thought the girl was 11 or 12. He said he didn’t remember abusing her but accepted it was possible.

Defence counsel, Mr Brian Fitzpatrick BL, said his client was remorseful for the offence and asked the court to be as lenient as possible.