Man filmed himself sexually assaulting woman at carnival

The man masturbated against a woman’s back, without her knowledge, in a crowd watching the tug-of- war competition.

Michael O’Rahilly, 46, of Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, admitted the offence when he appeared in the Royal Court. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Judge Catherine Fooks said the crime would have been ‘humiliating and degrading’ for his victim and had taken place in broad daylight in the middle of a crowd.

The incident happened on a packed Crown Pier at 8.25 that Friday evening. O’Rahilly had arrived in the island on a private yacht earlier that day.

Prosecuting, Advocate Phoebe Cobb said that the victim was leaning against railings in a busy crowd. She said later that she had found it claustrophobic. She recalled someone pushing against her back and then moving away.

A couple who were standing behind saw the defendant push himself behind the woman and inch towards her. He began fumbling with his crotch.

After he walked away they reported the matter to police and the defendant was arrested shortly afterwards as he queued for food.

The woman’s shorts and his phone were seized. It was later found that he had recorded two videos of himself.

O’Rahilly said in interview that he was ashamed of his actions. It had been a stupid and immature thing to do which he could not explain. He had drunk several pints that day.

He hoped the woman would be able to move on.

He had not seen her face and thought she had not been aware of what had happened.

Advocate Cobb said the woman had not wished to make a victim impact statement as she just wanted to forget the whole thing.

Sentencing the defendant to 18 months in prison, Judge Catherine Fooks said she wished to borrow the words of the defendant’s brother, who had provided a character reference.

‘We wonder how a family man with no previous convictions is before the court today having committed such a revolting offence and, even more extraordinarily, filming it,’ she said.

O’Rahilly will be subject to an extended sentence licence for three years upon his release and notification requirements for 10 years. He had already spent five months in custody on remand.

Sentencing had to be proportionate, Judge Fooks said.

While the effect on the defendant’s family had to be considered, so did the gravity of harm it would have on the victim.

‘The island community does not want to see this and such an offence has to attract an element of deterrence for others,’ she said.

Advocate Sam Maindonald represented the defendant, who, she said, had cooperated fully with police.

‘The difficulty we have is that we have no explanation as to why this took place,’ she added.