Case No. 21744Sexual assault (two counts) · Co. Kildare
Kildare man acquitted of two counts of sexual assault at Naas District Court
A foreign national man, a Kildare resident, was found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault allegedly committed on a female co-worker at a fast food restaurant in Kildare in 2021. Judge Desmond Zaidan at Naas District Court acquitted him on 23 March 2023, stating the State had not proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Acquitted28 Mar
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports20 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe alleged victim claimed the man slapped her hip region on the first occasion. (kildarenow.com)
- whatThe alleged victim claimed the man rubbed her back on a later occasion. (kildarenow.com)
- whatThe alleged victim claimed the man rubbed her left breast with his right hand for about two or three seconds. (kildarenow.com)
- whatThe second alleged incident was captured on a Snapchat video taken by the woman. (kildarenow.com)
- whatThe man allegedly asked the woman to delete the Snapchat video and she obliged. (kildarenow.com)
- whatThe defendant said he was merely playing with the woman whom he considered a friend. (kildarenow.com)
- whatThe defendant said the woman often tickled him at work. (kildarenow.com)
- whatThe defendant denied ever making the woman delete the Snapchat video. (kildarenow.com)
- whereThe alleged incidents took place at a fast food restaurant in Kildare. (kildarenow.com)
- whenThe alleged incidents occurred in 2021. (kildarenow.com)
- courtThe man was found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault. (kildarenow.com)
- courtThe trial was held in camera at Naas District Court on 23 March 2023. (kildarenow.com)
- courtJudge Desmond Zaidan presided over the trial. (kildarenow.com)
- courtThe woman's brother and sister gave evidence that she informed them of the incidents. (kildarenow.com)
- courtThe defence pointed out the exact date of the first offence was incorrect because the man was not working on that date. (kildarenow.com)
- courtA video showed the man and the woman playfully dancing about one hour and 35 minutes after the second alleged incident. (kildarenow.com)
- courtCCTV footage of the second incident was shown to the court by a garda. (kildarenow.com)
- courtThe garda acknowledged the alleged offence was mostly out of shot on the CCTV. (kildarenow.com)
- courtThe judge acknowledged the defendant seemed to be pointing his finger in a rubbing motion on the CCTV. (kildarenow.com)
- otherThe defendant is a foreign national. (kildarenow.com)
The reporting
newest first- 28 Mar2023Kildare resident found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault
Verdict article: the man was acquitted of both counts after an in-camera trial. The judge noted the CCTV showed the man pointing his finger in a rubbing motion but found no overtly sexual connotations, and questioned the workplace dynamics between a senior male worker and a junior female employee.
victim, femaleaccused, male, non-irish (judged from name)