Man who claims to have forgotten sexual assault to be sentenced next week

A man who had gone to a cheap drinks promotion at a night club claims he was too drunk to remember knocking a woman unconscious and sexually assaulting her.

A man who had gone to a cheap drinks promotion at a night club claims he was too drunk to remember knocking a woman unconscious and sexually assaulting her.

Anthony Ryan (aged 32) followed the woman to her home where he attacked her, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. He punched her seven times and twice punched her head against a wall.

The 18-year-old victim lost consciousness and when she woke up Ryan was sexually assaulting her. He fled when a neighbour heard the victim’s screams and interrupted him.

After his arrest Ryan told gardaí that he had earlier drank seven large bottles of cider, four vodka and Redbulls, 3 “Jager-bomb” cocktails and two shots of Sambuca spirit.

The court heard that Ryan had been drinking earlier in a nightclub called Blacker in Coolock and the club was running a low price alcohol promotion which included two Jagermeister shots and one Red Bull for €12.

Ryan of Belcamp Avenue, Priorswood pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and sexual assault of a woman in a Dublin suburb on July 13, 2012.

Judge Carmel Stewart remanded him on continuing bail and adjourned sentencing until next Tuesday.

Garda Brian Murphy told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that Ryan had earlier chatted to the victim and her friend and followed them home in a separate taxi.

The victim saw Ryan looking into the garden at her house. She came out and asked him nicely to go home and walked away.

She heard Ryan running towards her then and turned around to face him. Ryan punched her with a closed fist. He grabbed her hair and punched her six or seven times.

She was trying to escape his punches and when he hit her one last hard punch she hit her head against the wall and lost consciousness.

When she came to she was on her back and her legs were apart and Ryan was molesting her. She was shouting all the time and he was telling her to shut up.

A neighbour chased Ryan away. He was arrested later that night by gardaí after the garda helicopter had been deployed.

Ryan told gardaí he doesn’t remember talking to the taxi driver who drove him to the victim’s home.

He said: “I got this drunk and did something stupid to this girl. I am so sorry I just want it to be over as quick as possible for this girl. She doesn't deserve to go through all this again. I just can't remember.”

Gda Murphy agreed with Felix McEnroy SC, defending, that Ryan is genuinely remorseful.

Counsel said his client is “not a rich man” and that the €1,000 he brought to court as a gesture of compensation was “real money in his world”

The victim had declined to prepare a victim impact report or to attend the sentence hearing.

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