Man who sexually assaulted woman after party remanded

A man who sexually assaulted a woman following a party as she slept in her bed has been remanded in custody pending sentence next January.

The man (23) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault of a woman at a Dublin house in June 2013. He has no previous convictions.

Garda Mary Brophy told Anne Marie Lawlor, prosecuting, that the woman had gone to sleep in her bedroom at about 1.30am following the party and awoke later that night feeling “something weird”. She screamed and jumped out of bed.

Her sister came up to the room but found no one there. She went to another room and saw the accused there but suspected he was just pretending to be asleep. The man was later arrested and initially told gardaí he had tripped, landed on top of the girl and she had started screaming.

The woman outlined in her victim impact statement that her life had been changed forever in a way she had no control over. She said the idea that the safest place you could be was at home in your own bed had been taken away from her.

Judge Martin Nolan adjourned sentencing to January 8th after commenting that the man “had acted in a totally reprehensible fashion”.