Man found guilty of sexually assaulting woman when she came to view a room to rent at his house

A 36-year-old owner of a house in Cork was questioned by gardaí for using sex as a bargaining tool for renting a room to a woman, and now faces sentencing on counts of sexually assaulting one woman while she was viewing the property.

Judge Helen Boyle confirmed a legal prohibition on identification of the accused man at the centre of the case in Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Detective Sergeant Michelle O’Leary outlined the background to the crimes in the case where a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting the young woman three times during the 11-minute visit.

Seamus Roche, defence senior counsel, said the accused suffered from a mental illness around the time of these offences.

Det Sgt O’Leary said the injured party responded to an advertisement for a person to rent a room in a house.

“He stated he was looking for a female as they were easier to get on with and did not want a smoker or drinker. He asked her over the phone if she was in a relationship, which she thought was an unusual question,” said Det Sgt O’Leary.

“She was driven there by her brother to see the property on December 29, 2021. The defendant would not allow her brother in. He said it was because of covid so the injured party’s brother returned to wait in the car.

“The defendant invited her in to see the room for rent. She noticed a number of knives on the book case. He closed the curtains. He said this was to prevent a draft.

“She felt uneasy. He touched her on a number of occasions going around the house.

“He touched her buttocks. She was afraid he had a weapon. He brushed his hand against her left breast. As they moved through the house she tried to remain calm. While showing her the room, he stood behind her. He caressed her vagina area.

“He looked her straight in the eyes and said, ‘Is that OK?’

“She was extremely frightened. She said, ‘The shower? Yes’. She said she would need to speak to her brother before she decided. She went out and got into the car and was shaking uncontrollably.

“A short time later she went to Anglesea St Garda Station. She wanted gardaí to investigate him. She was frightened he would lure other females to his house,” Det Sgt O’Leary said.

Victim impact statement

The victim said in her impact statement: “I felt pretty much hopeless these last few years. I lost my spark.

“Unfortunately, since all of this started, I’ve been a shell of myself. 

“I’m a person that talks a lot about surface things, but talking about something like this is not something I feel comfortable talking about. As a result of what happened to me I lost my confidence, my mental health deteriorated massively, and subsequently my relationships failed, as I felt like I lost control of it.

“All this happened at my worst time,” she said. “I was homeless, out of work, when people are supposed to be looking forward to a new year and new beginnings.

“What happened to me wasn’t fair, and I didn’t deserve to be put in that position. No one does. I didn’t ask for it, and I didn’t want it, but it did happen to me. I felt so scared that night.

“I genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen to me, and the 11 or so minutes in that house alone with him felt like an eternity.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about it today.

“I’m just so happy it’s over, but I have this feeling of what now? Yes, it’s over, and yes, I’ve got justice, but... I’m left to clean up the mess that someone else has made in my life, and that’s not fair either.

“I want to thank the people involved in this case, the endless hours...early days and late nights that you put into your work.”

Judge Boyle adjourned sentencing until May 22.

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