Heroin addict jailed for attempted sex with teen
A heroin addict has been jailed for attempting to have sex with a drunken 14-year-old girl in Dublin city centre.
William McGlone (aged 29) met the girl as she was drinking with her friends. He took her down a laneway where they engaged in sexual activity before he tried to have intercourse with her.
Judge Martin Nolan said because of the age difference between the two parties he had to impose a jail term. He sentenced McGlone to three years but suspended all but 16 months of it.
McGlone, of Cherry Orchard Avenue, Ballyfermot pleaded guilty to sexual assault of the girl in the city centre on April 14, 2009.
Garda Louise Byrne told prosecuting counsel Tara Burns BL that the girl was on her Easter holidays from school and drinking heavily with her friends when McGlone approached and started talking to her.
They went down a laneway where they were recorded on CCTV engaging in sexual activity.
McGlone tried to have sex with the girl but was unable. Afterwards they left the area and the girl returned to her friends.
Gardaí later spotted the girl in a distressed state and began an investigation. The girl claimed she told McGlone her age before they went down the laneway
McGlone was identified on CCTV and arrested a short time later after he was seen on Grafton Street. He made admissions to gardaí but denied the girl had told him her age. He said he realised she was underage afterwards.
The girl did not appear in court and did not want to complete a victim impact report. The court heard she was very embarrassed after the incident and regretted it.
Defence counsel Isobel Kennedy SC said McGlone’s partner of eight years has decided to stay with him despite the incident. She said he is a heroin addict but getting treatment for this.
Counsel added he is a vulnerable and nervous person who “exercised bad judgement on the day”.
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