Cork man who followed teenage girl into bathroom and sexually assaulted her is jailed

A 33-year-old West Cork man who followed a 13-year-old girl into a bathroom and sexually assaulted her after she had become unwell from drinking alcohol with friends was jailed yesterday for five and a half years.

Judge Helen Boyle sentenced Edward Such to seven years in prison with the last 18 months suspended. He denied the sexual assault charge but was found guilty by a jury after a four-day trial.

The victim was present in the courthouse at Cork Circuit Criminal Court with her mother but did not want to be present in the courtroom when the sentence was passed. Her father and brother were present. 

Victim impact statements were handed into the court by the victim and her parents and they did not want them read publicly in court.

Judge Boyle said in the course of sentencing that the injured party suffered unfortunate consequences in that she lost friends and she felt that some people did not believe her. She also felt at fault even though she did nothing wrong.

Judge Boyle said Edward Such was the only person who entirely responsible for the sexual assault. 

The judge said that as well as what was suffered by the victim there was no doubt it was a dreadful experience for the parents to learn what happened to their child.

Judge Boyle commended the teenager’s bravery in bringing the complaint and following through with the evidence she gave in the trial.

The judge noted that was no issue with convicted man being named but that no particulars identifying the injured party should be published. For that reason some of the circumstances that gave rise to the parties being present in the same house on that night are not being reported.

Judge Boyle said an aggravating factor was the big age gap between the parties.

“This girl was 13 years old at the time. She was feeling physically unwell after consuming alcohol and you preyed on her and followed her into the bathroom. You touched and penetrated her vagina with your fingers."

Peter O’Flynn defence barrister said the accused had been doing well in prison and had an extremely dysfunctional background. He was homeless at the time of the sexual assault.

Mr O’Flynn said that from a young age Edward Such had addiction issues and be homeless and addicted to heroin.

Detective Garda Brian Morris of West Cork protective services unit said that on the night of April 8 into the following Friday morning of April 9 2021, the 13-year-old was drinking alcohol with friends and began to feel unwell.

The evidence in the course of a four-day trial by judge and jury was that the accused entered a downstairs bathroom with the injured party and that he closed the door, placed his hand inside her pants and underwear and penetrated her vagina with his fingers.