A businessman who groped a stranger as she bent over to gather her umbrella as she was leaving a Co Donegal pub has averted going to jail.
Father-of-three Quentin Parke, 44, was ordered to do 240 hours group service in lieu of 16 months in jail.
Choose John Aylmer described the incident as “a vile, horrific and degenerate groping.”
Parke, who owns a refrigeration enterprise, had pleaded responsible at Donegal Circuit Courtroom to the sexual assault of the younger lady at McCafferty’s Bar in Donegal City on October third, 2021.
He had claimed that he had drunk an excessive amount of after going out socialising for the primary time since a Covid lockdown.
His sufferer, who’s now in her mid 20s, was out with associates having had dinner at a neighborhood restaurant that night.
The lady had left her umbrella behind the door of the pub which was packed on the night she referred to as in.
Proof of the assault was given by Garda Sergeant Stewart Doyle.
The lady, and certainly one of her associates have been leaving the premises at 12.16am, when she was reaching behind the door to gather her umbrella when she was assaulted by a stranger.
The lady, who was carrying a costume on the evening, stated as she reached for her umbrella she felt a hand seize her by her vagina.
The lady initially requested her good friend if she had touched her saying “Anyone is simply after grabbing me by the fanny.”
The sufferer then she made eye contact with a person who was sniggering away at her.
Her good friend requested who it was and she or he pointed to a person carrying a checked shirt and denim denims with mousey colored hair.
The good friend managed to get an image of the person.
Prosecution barrister, Ms Fiona Crawford BL, stated the girl was crying and felt disgusted saying she was crossing her legs tightly as she was scared any individual may do this to her.
Mates of the girl went outdoors and informed Gardai what had occurred and particulars of the person have been taken.
A short while later Gardai arrested a person who was staggering and was drunk and refusing to provide them his title.
Transient CCTV footage of the incident was proven in courtroom.
When interviewed later at Ballyshannon Garda Station, the arrested man Quentin Parke, of Newtownhamilton, Newry, County Down, stated it appeared he had touched the girl.
He informed questioning Gardai when interviewed “I’ll have stumbled, I don’t know. It’s not one thing I might do, I’m married with three pretty youngsters.
“It appears that highway….I’m disgusted to be truthful, I actually am…..I’m apologetic because it’s not in my nature. I’m blown away by it,” he stated.
The courtroom was informed that Parke owns a small refrigeration firm which workers six folks and has no earlier convictions of any type.
Barrister for the accused, Mr Sean McGee BL, informed the courtroom that though alcohol was a characteristic of the occasions on the evening, his consumer didn’t have a problem with alcohol however careworn that this was his first evening out since lockdown and had consumed quite a few drinks.
He was supported in courtroom by his spouse Kelly.
Mr McGee stated there was no interplay with the injured celebration earlier than the incident and that the assault was not premeditated.
He stated his consumer was disgusted by his personal behaviour saying that if he noticed another person doing this he would describe it as an invasion of somebody’s house.
He stated a probation report on Parke put him at a low threat of reoffending and that supervision by the probation providers was not required within the case.
He was appropriate for group service and this might be accomplished in Dundalk, if the courtroom noticed match.
As a token of his regret, Parke had additionally provide you with the sum of €5,000 which he wished to provide to the injured celebration it doesn’t matter what the choice of the courtroom was.
Passing sentence, Choose Aylmer stated the incident came about when the accused was in a really drunken state and was opportunistic.
He stated that sexual assault got here in all kinds and infrequently of a critical nature and however the ‘vile, horrific and degenerate nature of this assault” he positioned it on the decrease finish of the scaler and one which merited a sentence of two years in jail earlier than mitigation.
Choose Aylmer stated the accused had no earlier convictions up till this incident, had not come to the eye of the courtroom since, there had been an early plea and he had cooperated with the investigation.
He added that whereas intoxication was not an excuse it was clear that this was an entire aberration and the one clarification was the excessive degree of intoxication and that it was clear that Parke was remorseful.
Choose Aylmer famous that the Probation Service of Northern Eire had accomplished a report within the accused and that he was deemed of being a low threat of reoffending.
Any group order service might be accomplished in Northern Eire however might be overseen by the providers in Dundalk if there have been any points.
For all of those causes, Choose Ayler stated he was lowering the sentence of two years to certainly one of 16 months in jail.
Nonetheless, given the earlier good character of the accused and his low threat of reoffending the courtroom needed to take into account coping with the case on a non-custodial foundation, he added.
Choose Aylmer stated that “with some hesitation” he had concluded that albeit it a borderline case, he would take care of it on a non-custodial foundation.
He imposed a sentence of 240 hours group service in lieu of 16 months in jail and Parke was positioned on the intercourse offenders register.
Choose slams intercourse assault on lady in pub as “vile, horrific and degenerate” was final modified: March twenty first, 2024 by
