Man accused of sexual assault of dogwalker in Fermoy to spend Christmas in prison

The court heard the woman managed to scratch the man before he fled when two other walkers heard her screams for help

A Garda at one of the entrances to St Colman's College pitches and Health Campus in Fermoy, Co Cork, last month. Judge Olann Kelleher remanded Vadim Veste in custody for four weeks. Picture: Dan Linehan

A 27-year-old man has been remanded in custody throughout the holiday period on a charge of sexually assaulting a woman out walking her dog in Fermoy.

Vadim Veste, a Moldovan national with joint Moldovan and Romanian citizenship, appeared before Cork District Court by video link from prison.

On the application of Sergeant John Kelleher, Judge Olann Kelleher remanded him in custody for four weeks to allow time for directions to be obtained from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, who stood in for Daithí Ó Donnabháin solicitor explained that after an initial failure to get bail at Fermoy District Court, an appeal to the High Court for bail also proved unsuccessful. An interpreter was present in Cork District Court to translate proceedings for the accused.

He will appear again at Cork District Court by video link from prison on January 4. Veste faces two charges related to St Colman’s Park, Fermoy, on November 7 - assault causing harm to the woman and sexual assault of the same person.

Detective Garda David Barry said Vadim Veste, with an address at Clancy Street, Fermoy, made no reply to either charge when they were put to him after caution.

He said that gardaí were objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the charge where it was alleged that the injured party was out walking her dog when a male assailant came up behind her in a dark and unlit section of the park and pulled her to ground from behind, covering her mouth with his hand to stop her crying for help.

He said that the State would allege that the assailant then knelt on top of the woman as she lay on the ground and stuffed a woolly hat into her mouth to stop her shouting, injuring her gums while he put his other hand up under dress and touched her on her vaginal area outside her underwear.

He said that the State would allege that the woman managed to scratch the man on the neck, face and hands before he fled when two other walkers heard her screams for help.

Det. Garda Barry said the accused came to Ireland in December 2020, has no ties with the country and has a wife and family back home in Moldova and he feared that he would abscond and not stand trial if granted bail.