Assaulted 16-year-old was plied with drink and drugs

A TEENAGER was plied with drugs and alcohol in a Wexford house before she was sexually assaulted by a 30-year-old man.

The District Court sitting in Wexford heard details of the ordeal which the 16-year-old girl endured.

Wine and cannabis were on the agenda early in the night when she and a friend went to the house in January.

The youngster fell asleep but woke at 4.30a.m. to find the defendant on top of her with his hand inside her underwear.

She heard a knock on the door and noticed that the accused man had no top on.

She told the investigating Garda Elizabeth Fitzgerald how she then went along the hallway of the house holding on to the walls as she walked.

She went asleep once more on a sofa but was woken again when the defendant was back on top of her, putting her hand on his pants.

When she left the house later in the day, she recalled in her statement, he touched her on the bum and blew her a kiss. She went to the garda station the following day to report what had happened.

The garda told Judge Gerard Haughton that the injured party did not wish to address the court.

Solicitor Ed King said his client had written a letter of apology. The judge adjourned for a week to find out whether the girl wished to accept the letter.