The defendant, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, appeared at the first day of his trial at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday, February 10.
The man, who is aged in his 40s, entered a plea of not guilty to one count of sexual assault.
The case opened with counsel for the prosecution, James Kelly BL, acting on behalf of State Solicitor Brian Robinson, addressing the jury.
Mr Kelly explained the process involved in a criminal trial and outlined the charge before the court.
He told the jury that “sexual assault is something that is unwanted and an assault in circumstances of indecency”.
Investigating garda Barry Walker was the first witness and introduced multiple exhibits into the record, including a picture booklet made up of photographs of the location where the alleged sexual assault occurred. The booklet was given to the jury, which was made up of 10 men and two women.
Giving evidence, the woman, aged in her 20s, testified that in 2023 she received a call from a friend informing her that there was work available at a local music festival for security staff. At 5.30pm, she went to meet her colleagues, where she met the accused, who was working as her supervisor.
Bray Courthouse.
Today’s News in 90 – Wednesday February 11
The court heard that she was given a task to clean a designated area of the festival when the defendant allegedly changed her work schedule and “demanded” that she work alongside him.
The pair were working together in a cabin near an access gate and were tasked with letting people and vehicles in and out.
It is also alleged that the defendant was drinking alcohol in the cabin on the night in question.
The victim stated that at about 9.30pm, the defendant pulled her into his lap and remarked that he “isn’t her boss anymore”, before allegedly assaulting her by rubbing his hand on her stomach and inside her vagina.
“I was so scared, I kept looking into space, I froze,” said the victim.
Counsel for the prosecution enquired whether she made attempts to get away from the accused, with the court hearing that she broke away from the defendant by telling him she wanted to call a takeaway, but her phone was on charge and undergoing a software update.
The victim stated that “in my head at the time, I wasn’t going to ring a chipper, I was going to ring my mom”.
She said that he made no objection to her calling a takeaway, but informed her that in a back room in the lodge there were instant noodles for her to eat.
After her phone turned on, she said she called her mother, but there was no cell service in the lodge, which led her to break down in tears, causing the accused to realise she was not okay.
“I was so scared, I wanted to go home,” she added. “I just wanted my mom.”
The woman allegedly told the accused she was not going anywhere with him before leaving and heading towards the festival.
She contacted her father, who drove to the gate and collected her from the festival. While on her way to the gate, the court heard that the defendant drove past her on an electric scooter, making hand gestures to motion that she was “crazy”, before saying, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, you’re crazy.”
The court heard that she was wearing several layers of clothing on her legs and body.
When she fled, she claims she left behind her handbag, which was later retrieved by her father that evening when gardaí became involved.
During cross-examination by senior counsel for the defence, Colman Fitzgerald, instructed by junior counsel Niamh Foley and solicitor Michael O’Connor, the victim was asked if she was “100pc telling the truth”, before he stated that he did not believe her version of events.
The court heard that the woman gave a statement to gardaí the day after the alleged assault and two further statements in 2024 and 2025 on direction of State Solicitor for Wicklow, Mr Robinson.
When it was put to her by Mr Fitzgerald, she stated she could not recall making any statement other than her first one.
Mr Fitzgerald enquired why, in her statement, she did not mention that his client allegedly rubbed his genitalia up her back or that he touched her breast, with the woman refuting this by saying that “he abused his power as a boss”.
Her statement was read back to her by the defence, with her stating that “he sexually assaulted me so you can keep re-reading it but it doesn’t change the fact what happened”.
The woman described her memory as fogged when Mr Fitzgerald further questioned her on the facts.
“Nothing I’m saying is a lie, he knew what he was doing,” remarked the alleged victim.
The trial continued with further witnesses on Wednesday, February 11, with the alleged victim having finished her testimony.
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