Letterkenny man who preyed on woman (16) jailed for sexual assault

A Letterkenny man who preyed on a 16-year-old woman and plied her with medication has been jailed for 4 years after pleading responsible to sexual assault.

Patrick Marley (35) was earlier than this week’s sitting of Letterkenny Circuit Courtroom.

He lured his younger sufferer into his residence with the supply of hashish after preying on her for a number of hours.

In sentencing, Choose John Aylmer mentioned Marley – who fled to the UK for a interval after the incident – was perusing his sufferer ‘amorously’ on the night time in query. Marley, with an tackle at Crerand Home, Larkins Lane, initially pleaded not responsible in June and a jury was empanelled earlier than he modified his plea to one among responsible.

Ms Fiona Crawford BL, prosecutor for the State, mentioned the sufferer within the case was entitled to anonymity however as there was no hyperlink between her and Marley, the accused man could possibly be named.

The incident occurred at an residence in Letterkenny on July 16, 2017, when the sufferer was 16 years outdated.

Detective Garda Watters mentioned the girl was out with buddies and was consuming and took an ecstasy pill earlier within the night time. As she was carrying a tracksuit, she didn’t wish to go to a nightclub within the city. 

The courtroom heard proof that the woman confided in a instructor {that a} boy was ‘creeping her out’.

When she encountered Marley, he requested her if she took cocaine and he or she replied: “No, however if you happen to’re providing it, I could as properly.”

This was round 3am and the pair took a line of cocaine. Marley tried to kiss her and he or she mentioned she turned ‘type of scared’. He grabbed her hand and as she let go he tried to kiss her once more. She informed him that she was a lot youthful, the courtroom heard.

Later, at a property in Letterkenny, Marley, who lured {the teenager} again on the promise of hashish, was ‘handed out sleeping’ and the girl might hear music from one other room. The deal with of the entrance door was damaged off and was sitting on a desk beside the door. She was unable to get the deal with affixed to the door, which was locked.

When she went to wake Marley, he tried to kiss her once more and he or she informed him she didn’t need that to occur. The courtroom heard that Marley tried to get on high of the sufferer, who pushed him off and mentioned ‘I must get house, let me out’.

Outdoors the door, Marley once more grabbed the woman and leaned in to kiss her. As she pushed him away, Marley was holding her by the again and facet. 

Whereas the woman continued to wrestle, Marley put his hand inside her underwear and assaulted her, the courtroom heard. The woman informed him ‘please don’t do that’ and punched him on the top. She tried to get Marley in a headlock and informed him: ‘I can’t imagine you’ve executed that, that was simply sick’.

Having subsequently informed her mom what had occurred, she was taken to the Sexual Assault Therapy Unit (SATU) in Letterkenny.

Marley, who has 24 earlier convictions, was unemployed and homeless on the time and was sleeping on a relative’s couch, his barrister, Mr Colm Smyth SC, mentioned. 

Detective Garda Watters mentioned that Marley failed to look for a courtroom listening to in 2018 and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Gardai made subsequent enquiries once they couldn’t find Marley. In January 2019, they utilized for a European Arrest Warrant, which was executed in June 2020.

The girl bravely took to the stand to face Marley and informed how she is ‘completely terrified’ to stroll alone. Even when she goes to a close-by store, she calls a member of the family. The sufferer mentioned she ‘struggles terribly with anxiousness each single day’ and has needed to be medicated to cope with suicidal ideas. 

She mentioned she had tried to take her personal life ‘many instances’ and has acquired intensive counselling.

“I endure from panic assaults and nightmares,” she mentioned. “I wrestle to make buddies with boys and males; I can’t let that occur to me once more. This has been probably the most terrifying six years of my life. I’ve been so traumatised and devastated that he took six years of my life. I consistently reside in concern of males.”

The girl mentioned she has ‘suffered each minute for the final six years’ and mentioned her assailant ‘held on to confess guilt till the final second’.

“I’m haunted that he’s nonetheless strolling the road,” she mentioned, including that she repeatedly asks herself: ‘What do I do? The place do I am going? Will it ever change?’

Mr Smyth learn a letter of apology written by Marley, who mentioned he wished to apologise for his actions.

“I can’t start to grasp how you have to really feel,” Marley wrote. “From the underside of my coronary heart, I’m really sorry.”

A letter of reference from his employer was handed in to the courtroom.

Mr Smyth mentioned this was an offence dedicated whereas his shopper was inebriated and medicines. 

He mentioned Marley was going to supply the sufferer €10,000, however didn’t ‘as he didn’t wish to offend the sufferer’ or ‘be seen to purchase a approach out of jail’. He mentioned his shopper is ‘really and deeply sorry’ and that his employers have been ‘vastly shocked’ by the case.

Choose Aylmer mentioned that Marley administering cocaine to the woman some hours prematurely of the fee of the offence was an aggravating characteristic. 

He mentioned Marley was a ‘mature grownup compared’ and ‘had been preying on her for an prolonged variety of hours’. 

“She was already intoxicated and it seems as if he was benefiting from her already intoxicated state,” Choose Aylmer mentioned. “He lured her into the privateness of his dwelling with the supply of hashish and when it got here to the fee of the offence, important bodily pressure was used.”

Choose Aylmer mentioned it was clear from the girl’s sufferer influence assertion that the incident has had a ‘very destructive psychological influence’ on her.

Choose Aylmer mentioned the offence merited a sentence of six years in jail earlier than contemplating mitigation. 

He famous that Marley has turn out to be concerned with one other lady. Choose Aylmer mentioned Marley’s responsible plea was late, however was thought of beneficial because it spared the sufferer the extra trauma of getting to offer proof. 

Choose Aylmer diminished the sentence to one among 4 years in jail.

Letterkenny man who preyed on woman (16) jailed for sexual assault was final modified: October twenty fifth, 2023 by Workers Author

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