Jail for Mitchelstown man who put arm around woman and asked her 'do you want sex?'

A middle-aged Mitchelstown man put his arm around a woman in her early 60s in the town and asked her, “Do you want sex?” 

Nicknamed Squiggly, the accused man, 51-year-old Anthony Quigley, of Roches Heights, Mitchelstown, County Cork, pleaded guilty to the charge brought against him by Detective Garda Dave Barry – a count of engaging in offensive conduct of a sexual nature.

He was jailed for nine months at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The detective testified today that this offence was carried out on March 15 2024 at New Square, Mitchelstown.

Mr Quigley also pleaded guilty to not complying with the terms of the Sex Offenders Register by using a name other than Anthony Quigley when he was stopped by gardaí in Cork city and giving them his address with an incorrect door number.

Det. Garda Barry said the accused had previous sexual assault and harassment convictions.

Judge Dermot Sheehan said, “He has a history. That is what is concerning me. He does not seem to appreciate the seriousness of what is going on.” 

Judge Sheehan made this comment, partly arising out of his failure to attend all of his probation service meetings and to sign on, on every occasion at his local garda station.

“What I am going to do in respect of this man, in relation to the March 15 offence, it seems the appropriate sentence is one of nine months in prison. Mr Quigley well knows what he is about. A nine-month sentence is appropriate,” the judge said.

Concurrent sentences that did not increase his overall time in custody were imposed on him in respect of the other offences.

As soon as the criminal case concluded, there was a civil application brought against the same man to make an order restricting him in Mitchelstown.

Barrister Helen O’Driscoll said complaints were also made about the same man approaching teenaged school children and making sexual comments to them.

“There are more than reasonable grounds for guards to have concerns here. That the person has been convicted of a sexual offence. And he has acted on one or more occasions in a way that causes concern to An Garda Síochána. I say ,the criteria have been more than met,” Ms O’Driscoll said.

Judge Sheehan granted the order that for the next 15 years he would have no contact with children under the age of 18, not come within 50 metres of a school, not take up employment that would give him access to children and not to watch or beset any females or to engage in any sexually explicit conversation with them.

Defence barrister John Devlin suggested that 15 years was a long time for a very restrictive order. Judge Sheehan said he wondered if it was long enough.

Mr Devlin said Anthony Quigley was in a serious car accident when he was 17-years of age impairing his speech, memory and some day to day mental functioning.