Court hears man who assaulted girl living “in conditions that would not be tolerated in Calcutta”
A man who sexually assaulted a young woman near a bus stop in Cork was living “in conditions that would not be tolerated in Calcutta” at the time of the offence over two years ago, a court has heard.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin noted that progress had been made since that time. “Some effort to clean the house and get the rats to inhabit habitate somewhere else, that has happened apparently,” the judge said.
Patrick Vaughan, 61, of Oaklodge, Douglas Road, Cork, was then given an 18-month suspended sentence as the judge took into consideration a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and also noted he has stayed out of trouble since September 2017.
“He has been known to get involved in this kind of behaviour making a real nuisance of himself but I cannot divorce his actions from his sickness,” the judge said.
Niamh Stewart defence barrister said the defendant had not come to the adverse attention of gardaí since the last adjournment.
Evidence was given previously that Patrick Vaughan sexually assaulted the young woman by putting his hand up her skirt at bus stop in Douglas. The victim’s older sister responded by hitting him in the face with the carton of milk she was carrying.
Patrick Vaughan immediately turned around to the victim and her sister and said, “I am sorry, I am sick.
The 60-year-old then left the scene. However, Detective Garda Donal Cashman said the sister of the victim of this sexual assault was driving in the Douglas area three weeks later when she saw Vaughan.
She got of her car, walked over to the bus stop where Vaughan was standing and she photographed him with her phone. She then sent this picture to Det. Garda Cashman.
After initially denying the charges Vaughan eventually pleaded guilty to the charge of sexually assaulting the young woman on September 1 2017 on Douglas Road, Cork.
The sexual assault took the form of putting his hand up the teenager’s skirt and grabbing her knickers, Det Garda Cashman testified.
It was a psychiatrist who recommended that the defendant’s home at Oaklodge was extremely unsuitable and needed to be thoroughly cleaned out and made habitable. That was done, Ms Stewart BL said.
