Cork man accused of sexual assault on 16-year-old girl on bus given bail

A Cork man who is charged with the alleged sexual assault of 16-year-old girl on a public bus has been granted bail in the district court, despite Garda objections.

The man, who is in his 60s and cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Clonakilty District Court, where Detective Garda Paul Cullen outlined the Garda objections to the man being released on bail.

Det Gda Cullen said the objection was due to the seriousness of the alleged offences, that the accused may commit further offences, and his bench-warrant history.

The court heard three bench warrants were issued for the accused since September and he had failed to adhere to previous bail conditions by not turning up in court, and by failing to provide gardaí with a mobile phone number on which he could be contacted.

The court was told it was alleged the accused sat next to a 16-year-old girl when she got on a local link bus in Co Cork.

It is alleged he began rubbing her thighs, kissed her on the lips, and put his tongue in her mouth. The court was told it was also alleged the accused put his hand inside the girl’s top and touched her breast and tried to put his hand down her shorts. It was further alleged he offered her a can of Guinness and told her his name and age.

The accused was arrested shortly after he got off the bus, but made no admissions when he was interviewed at a Garda station. The court was told the man had nine previous convictions, six for theft, one for public intoxication, and two for road-traffic matters, but had no previous convictions for crimes of a sexual nature.

Defence solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said the accused had suffered a medical incident when aged in his 60s, which may have affected him mentally and led to him becoming alcohol-dependent. He said his client’s convictions had all occurred in the the last five years. He asked the court to consider granting bail on strict conditions.

Judge Joanne Carroll said the man had already spent 18 days in custody and she would grant him bail “reluctantly”, on strict conditions. She warned the accused if he did not adhere to the bail conditions, he would be held in custody until his case came before the circuit criminal court, which would not be until February, at the earliest.

Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions had been received and it was indicated the accused would be contesting the case in the circuit criminal court. He said it was the State’s application to adjourn the matter for two weeks for service of a book of evidence.

Judge Carroll remanded the man on bail on his own bond of €200 to appear at Bandon District Court on December 19, 2025. The bail conditions direct he lives at his home address, observes a curfew from 10pm to 8am, abstains from intoxicants in public, stays off the local link bus, stays out of the towns where the alleged offences occurred, has no contact with the alleged injured party, is of good behaviour, and is contactable by mobile phone at all times.

The judge warned the accused: “If you break any one of these bail conditions, you will be going to jail until your trial is on.”

• This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme