Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 21744Sexual assault (two counts) · Co. Kildare

Man acquitted of two counts of sexual assault in Kildare

A foreign national was found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault at an in-camera trial at Naas District Court on 23 March 2023. The alleged incidents took place in 2021 at a fast food restaurant in Kildare, where the woman claimed the man slapped her hip, rubbed her back, and rubbed her left breast. The man said he was merely playing with a friend and denied asking her to delete a Snapchat video of the second incident. The trial was presided over by Judge Desmond Zaidan, and the man was acquitted of both counts.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Acquitted28 Mar
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The woman alleged the man slapped her hip region on the first occasion and rubbed her back and left breast with his right hand for about two or three seconds on a later occasion.
  • The second alleged incident was captured on a Snapchat video taken by the woman, and the man allegedly asked her to delete it.
  • The man said he was merely playing with the woman, whom he considered a friend, and denied asking her to delete the video.
Where
The alleged incidents took place at a fast food restaurant in Kildare.
When
The alleged incidents occurred in 2021.
In court
  • The man was found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault at an in-camera trial at Naas District Court on 23 March 2023, presided over by Judge Desmond Zaidan.
  • The woman's brother and sister gave evidence that she informed them of the incidents, and the defence noted the exact date of the first offence was incorrect because the man was not working on that date.
  • CCTV footage of the second incident was shown to the court, and the judge acknowledged the defendant appeared to be pointing his finger in a rubbing motion but found no overtly sexual connotations.
Other details
The defendant is a foreign national.
20 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
  1. 28 Mar2023
    Acquittedkildarenow.com, first report
    Kildare 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)