Cork Naval instructor said to recruit 'I thought you like it rough' during sexual assault

Derek Nagle will be sentenced on May 30

The incident happened at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Co. Cork. File picture: Denis Minihane

A 56-year-old Naval instructor slapped a new recruit on the buttocks, winked at her and commented: "You’re lucky it wasn’t 14 or 15 years ago". 

Derek Nagle of Kilmona, Grenagh, County Cork, has since resigned from the Navy and faces sentence now at Cork District Court for one count of sexual assault. Injured party Seana O’Connor waived her right to anonymity.

Inspector Anne Marie Guiney outlined the background to the sexual assault which was carried out at lunchtime on March 1, 2022, when Naval recruit Seana O’Connor was in the Transit Room at the base in Haulbowline, Cork, which is the male living accommodation, also known as the Billets Room.

“She was sitting on another male recruit’s bed chatting when Naval officer Leading Seaman Derek Nagle came in and shouted at her, ‘What the f*** are you doing in here?’ She said she was sorry, she was just getting something.

“Officer Nagle sat on the bed beside her and began pulling her right arm back and forth while gripping her shirt. He put his right hand behind her back and pushed her forward. He put his other hand on the back of her neck pushing her further forward so that her face was towards the floor.

“At this point her backside came off the bed and she was in a half-standing position with her top half bent over. Officer Nagle then proceeded to slap her across the left hand side of her buttocks forcefully and said to her, ‘I thought you like it rough, O’Connor’, and repeated this a few times.

“After the slap she fell to her knees. She then saw him pick up a bottle of water and believed he was going to throw it over her. She grabbed it off him and said, ‘F*** off, that’s enough now.’ 

“As she was fixing her uniform he winked at her and said, ‘You’re lucky it wasn’t 14 or 15 years ago’. That day she reported the matter to a higher superior officer. And military police were assigned to investigate.

“A number of other naval recruits were present in the room and they witnessed the incident."

Victim impact statement

Ms O’Connor said in a victim impact statement which she read in Cork District Court: “I should be happy with the outcome of this but in all honesty this man has broken me. We all have been through situations in our lives that try and test us and we move on and remain strong but there’s only so much one person can take.

“After the incident happened I got up every day, put a face on, finished my branch training, passed my courses, moved onto the ship and had some amazing trips but inside I was breaking and still am.

“Every night for three to four weeks I had extreme nightmares, breakdowns and having to go to counselling service which the Irish naval service provides. I couldn’t thank them enough.

“But even with all of that I smiled every day, got on with my work and showed everyone that I was OK and in actual fact I’m not. A year on and I still would have nightmares.

“I know 10 times worse could have happened to me - I do get that - but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.” 

Apology

Defence barrister, Ronan Barnes, said Derek Nagle is 56 and joined the Navy in 1985. “He gave 37 years of service to the State. He has absolutely nothing whatever remotely like this (previously against him).

“His position in the Navy became untenable, he has resigned from the Navy. He was an instructor and it was not appropriate for him to direct physical training.

“He was interviewed and answered everything that was asked of him. Initially, he was not able to accept there was an indecent element (to the assault). He now accepts the injured party’s account entirely.

“He instructs me to apologise sincerely to the injured party. It is a horrible thing to have happened. It should not have happened. He cannot give me any explanation. It seems to be an aberration after 37 years service to the State.” 

Mr Barnes BL said the accused offered compensation but the barrister understood that the injured party was not in a position to accept compensation. He suggested she might nominate a charity to which the accused could contribute.

Judge Marian O’Leary adjourned sentencing until May 30 to allow time for preparation of a probation report on Derek Nagle.