Man charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment of woman in west Cork

David Forsythe

A man who appeared before Judge John King at a special sitting of Clonakilty District Court has been charged with six offences including sexual assault and false imprisonment following an incident at a house in west Cork in the early hours of Sunday, January 12th, 2025.

Detective Garda Paul Cullen said that the 32-year-old Irish man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, made no reply when the charges were put to him.

The court was told it was alleged that the accused unlawfully entered the premises at about 4:30am where he allegedly sexually assaulted the woman who is in her late 30s and also physically assaulted her and her young teenage daughter.

The court heard that the man is also charged with two counts of false imprisonment and one count of burglary. The man was also charged in relation to a separate incident in Killarney where it is alleged that he drove off from a petrol station without paying on January 12th.

Court presenter Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said that gardaí were opposing bail being granted due to the seriousness of the alleged offences.

Defence solicitor Plunkett Taffe told the court that his client would not be making a bail application initially but intended to do so at the next hearing.

Judge John King granted legal aid to Mr Taaffe and remanded the accused man in custody to appear again at Bandon District Court on January 20th pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions