'I thought I would be safe in hospital' - Man sexually assaulted teenage patient in CUH ward

Andrew O’Donovan of Butlersgift, Drimoleague, County Cork, was given an 18-month suspended jail term for sexual assault — his first criminal conviction of any kind.

A 17-year-old girl in hospital for serious injuries was put into a ward with a 62-year-old man with a long psychiatric history and in the early hours of the morning he sexually assaulted her.

Because of her physical injuries at the time she could not reach the call-button over her head. The only thing that brought a nurse to the room after the incident was the fact that the older man’s heart rate shot up on his heart monitor.