21-month sentence for man who sexually assaulted woman

A man who sexually assaulted a woman and followed her on to a train has been jailed for 21 months.

58-year-old Abderrahmane El Aaour, who is living in hostel accommodation, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault of the then 20- year-old woman in a suburb of the city in November 2016.

He has previous convictions but none for sexual offences.

Garda Gavin Fleet told prosecution counsel Gerardine Small that the woman was in her second year in a training course for people with special needs and was sitting outside a church when El Aaour approached her and asked her for a cigarette.

She had never seen him before. She said that she did not have a cigarette and he asked her to go for a coffee.

The woman later told gardaí she agreed to go for a coffee because she was afraid to say “no”.

Gda Fleet said that after a short time in a café the woman said she had to go but El Aaour asked her to stay.

She left and he followed her. He caught up with her before he forcibly kissed her and sexually assaulted her.

The woman later said she did not like it and she was scared.

El Aaour asked her if she wanted to go to a hotel and she shook her head, indicating that she did not want to but he her hand and began walking with her.

Gda Fleet said the woman managed to break free but he followed her onto a DART train.

She phoned her mother who advised her to take a photograph of the man.

When the woman reached her destination, her mother was waiting for her and El Aaour followed her off the DART.

Gda Fleet said that at one point the woman dropped her phone. El Aaour picked it up for her but managed to get her phone number off it before handing it back to her.

The woman’s mother immediately reported him to gardaí and they handed over the photos of El Aaour.

While they were in a garda station making a statement, El Aaour rang the woman’s phone.

Gda Fleet said they were able to identify him as a suspect and he was arrested. He denied sexually assaulting the woman.

Gda Fleet agreed with defence counsel Seamus Clarke that El Aaour worked with circuses when he came to Ireland first. He later began to work in the fruit markets in Dublin city centre.

Victim: Why did this happen to me?

The now 27-year-old woman read her victim impact statement to the court via video-link.

She outlined her disability to the court. She said the crime has changed her life in many ways.

The woman said she is nervous to go out now in case she might meet the man again and no longer goes on shopping or cinema trips with her friends.

She is also nervous getting public transport and will move seats if a man sits beside her.

“I don’t trust a lot of men anymore. I don’t like it when man speak to me.

“I feel very sad and I always wonder why did this happen to me? I wouldn’t like this to happen to anyone else.

The woman outlined how she has since started to self-harm and is upset because this upsets her mother.

She is on a waiting list for counselling and her hair has started to fall out because of stress.

“I feel stressed all the time and I wonder will it ever end? Will I ever feel better again?

“I think about this day all the time. I was so young and happier back then,” the woman said.

“His face is stuck in my head and I don’t want to see him again. I am afraid to go to sleep every night because I have a nightmare”.

Mr Clarke said that if it were not for the vulnerability of the woman, the offence could be seen as being at the lower end of the scale.

He described the victim impact statement as “very brave” and said his client has instructed that he is remorseful for his behaviour on the night.

Judge Martin Nolan said the woman was kissed and touched without her consent.

“I must infer that he knew she had challenges and he took advantage of this situation,” the judge said, adding that El Aaour had behaved in an intimidating way and noted that he frightened the victim.

Judge Nolan set a headline sentence of three years which he reduced to 21 months taking into account the guilty plea and the fact that he felt the man was “unlikely that he will reoffend to any great degree”.