Young man jailed for over three years for sexually assaulting his friend while she slept

A man who sexually assaulted his friend at her home in a “complete breach of trust” has been jailed for three and six month years.

Conor Carty (23) pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault on a date in July 2020. 

The victim indicated that she wished to retain her anonymity, but wanted Carty of Rampere, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow to be named.

Carty, who was 20-years-old at the time and in college, and the victim were known to each other. He had been drinking heavily and was highly intoxicated when he was put to bed in the victim's bedroom.

The victim later went to bed and during the night, Carty sexually assaulted her three times over the course of 20 minutes. The victim pretended to be asleep.

When he left the room for a short period, she messaged her sister asking for help.

When Carty returned, she again pretended to be asleep. He tried to wake her before getting back into bed again. 

She then went to her sister's bedroom in a distressed state and told her what had happened.

The man was confronted by the victim's sister and told to leave the house. The court heard that Carty had stayed overnight previously and was welcome in her family home.

The victim went to a sexual assault treatment unit and swabs indicated the presence of male DNA, but there was insufficient material to create a profile.

Carty contacted his local garda station the day after the offending occurred and was later interviewed by gardaí voluntarily.

He told gardaí he didn’t remember anything after being put to bed and couldn’t recall any sexual contact with the victim.

Carty has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since this incident.

Reading her own statement to the court, the victim said she has suffered panic attacks, suicidal ideation, night terrors and difficulties sleeping in the wake of the sexual assaults. She also said she couldn't allow anyone to touch her in the following months as she felt dirty, no matter how often she washed.

She said she couldn’t enter her bedroom or sleep there until “I burnt my mattress and anything he touched.” 

The woman said she decided to take a year out of college due to the deterioration in her mental health.

Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that Carty had been “trusted”, but carried out “demeaning and humiliating” sexual assaults on the victim.

Mr Justice McDermott said there had been a “complete breach of trust” and that the offending occurred in her bedroom, a place that should have been secure.

Mr Justice McDermott imposed a sentence of four years and six months. He suspended the final year of the sentence on strict conditions, including that Carty place himself under probation supervision, engage with any recommended therapeutic programmes and have no contact with the victim.

Brendan Grehan SC, defending, read out a letter of apology from Carty to his victim. It said: “While I still can’t remember some part of what happened that night…I trust and believe what you say happened.”

Mr Grehan said his client takes full responsibility and accepts the victim’s “word as to what she said happened and he believes her”. He said his client has otherwise led a “blameless life” and has a good work history since leaving college.