'Creepy' Amazon software developer found guilty of groping woman on bus

Tom Tuite

A "creepy" software developer has been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman by groping her on a Citylink bus to Dublin after he lied about going to a work party.

Amazon employee Kishor Karunakaran, 44, of Fairfield Court, Herbert Road, Dublin 4, denied the allegation, claiming he was asleep for the entire journey on September 13th, 2024, after a day trip to Galway to have fish stew.

Dublin District Court heard the complainant felt she had been touched once or twice from behind and between the coach seats, before she was touched on her side, where her bra starts.

Judge John Hughes found him guilty and adjourned sentencing until a date in March for a probation report on Karunakaran, compensation proposals, and a victim impact statement.

The woman told the hearing that she first felt something on her side, and later, in evidence, said she initially thought it felt like something that had fallen out of her pocket.

She said a second time that she saw his hand and smartwatch coming between the seats, then pulling back, and she thought he may have dropped something.

Then she stood up to show the accused that she was sitting there.

She said he was seated behind her, and "he was in sunglasses and creepy".

The witness recalled that a third time she was touched, she felt it on the left side of her, near her waist, and fingertips touching her hand.

She changed seats and took a picture of the accused, who had his face partially covered with his hand, and she thought he was trying to block it from being shown.

Paul Larkin Coyle BL, defending, challenged her account and put to her that her evidence differed from her statement.

He told her that his client was asleep for the journey and asked why she had not alerted anyone. He put to her that his client "did not lay a hand on you, and her allegation did not happen".

The court heard that she messaged her mother and boyfriend, who told her to alert the driver.

She testified that she did not tell the driver or anyone else on the bus because she was scared and did not want to delay the bus for other passengers going on to the airport. Her boyfriend called Store Street Garda station.

Garda Andrew Seaman, who was also sent the photo of the accused, waited at a stop in Dublin city centre and approached Karunakaran.

The accused's original account was that he had left work around lunchtime to go to a work party in Galway.

In a later interview, he admitted that he went to Galway to have a meal because he liked mussels and fish stew at a particular restaurant there.

Garda Seaman put to him that he had sneaked off to Galway to grope women, but the accused insisted he had travelled to Galway to have a meal.

The driver told the garda he did not notice anything.

In evidence, he explained that he had taken the bus to Galway on his own and returned that evening. It was on a Friday after a hectic week, closing off a work project.

He admitted he lied to his family about attending a work-related social event or party.

The father of one said he had a heart problem and was on medication that made him sleepy, and he tried to avoid stress. The garda told the accused that he thought it was strange that he had left work to go to Galway, where he had stayed for a few hours.

He had two pints that day and insisted he slept through the drive back. He also wore sunglasses so he could sleep, was unaware the woman had taken a picture of him, and denied covering his face, but accepted it was him in the photo.

A copy was handed in to court, along with a printout of the message exchange between the complainant and her partner.

The CCTV system on board did not record due to a corrupted hard drive. The defence argued that it was a "he said, she said" case with no witnesses.

However, Judge John Hughes said he considered the evidence and credibility of the witnesses and rejected Karunakaran's evidence.