Man found not guilty of sexual assault

A MAN accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl was acquitted last week at Wicklow Circuit Court.

The defendant had denied the charge of sexual assault.

The complainant, now 19, was 16 at the time of the alleged incident, Wicklow Circuit Court heard last week.

The girl said that she was staying with her aunt and uncle at their house in County Wicklow in December 2015.

On the day of her arrival, she said, she asked if she could charge her phone in a bedroom and went upstairs.

She said that, as she was coming back, the defendent went to kiss her, then lifted her up, brought her back to the bedroom and lay on top of her. She said that he went to kiss her again, and she moved her head. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, she said, when the man said ‘they’ll be home soon’, got up and went downstairs. Her aunt then came in the front door.

She said that the next day, in his house, he kissed her on both cheeks, told her she was a ‘good girl’ and patted her bottom.

The girl told the court that she suffered from illness and panic attacks as a result of what had happened.

She said that she told her mum because she did not want to return to the home of her aunt and uncle. She told her mother that she felt dirty and embarrassed.

The accused man’s barrister had put it to the girl that she was making up a story. He said that her various accounts to different people of what occurred differed.

The jury deliberated for 55 minutes before returning with a verdict of not guilty.