Wednesday 28 October 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. 2124Sexual assault · Co. Dublin · 4 Jul 2019

Man jailed for three years for sexually assaulting sleeping flatmate in Dublin

Lucas Da Silva Cruz, a 30-year-old Brazilian man, was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in January 2025 of one count of sexually assaulting his sleeping flatmate. On July 4, 2019, after a barbecue in the garden of a three-bedroom Dublin house housing 13 Brazilian nationals, the 23-year-old complainant went to sleep on the sofa at about 1:30am and woke at about 4am to find her trousers pulled down and Da Silva Cruz performing oral sex on her. Da Silva Cruz told gardaí the act was consensual. On March 10, 2025, Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to three years' imprisonment backdated to January 17, 2024, and placed him on the sex offenders register.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court10 Mar
  5. Convicted10 Mar
  6. Sentenced10 Mar
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Lucas Da Silva Cruz, a 30-year-old Brazilian man, was found guilty of one count of sexually assaulting his flatmate by performing oral sex on her while she slept on the sofa.
  • The 23-year-old complainant woke to find her trousers pulled down and Da Silva Cruz performing oral sex on her; she kicked her legs a couple of times until he got up and left the room.
  • Da Silva Cruz told gardaí the act was consensual; alcohol was not a factor and the complainant was drinking coke.
  • The complainant suffers from anxiety, sleepless nights, recurrent nightmares, and needs regular therapy since the assault; she is now pregnant.
  • Da Silva Cruz works in IT but resigned from his job upon being convicted; he was supporting his elderly mother in São Paulo; he has no previous convictions.
Where
The assault took place in a three-bedroom house in Fairview, Dublin 3, which housed 13 Brazilian nationals with men and women sharing rooms and sleeping in bunk beds.
When
The assault occurred on July 4, 2019, after the housemates had a barbecue in the garden; the complainant went to sleep on the sofa at about 1:30am and woke at about 4am.
In court
A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty in January 2025.
Sentence
Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to three years' imprisonment backdated to January 17, 2024, and placed him on the sex offenders register.
Other details
The complainant asked that her name not be published; the prosecution had no objection to Da Silva Cruz being named.
76 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatJason Platt is a former chef from England accused of attempted deception after losing a €2.3m compensation claim against a Co Cork hotel (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe was on crutches, was granted legal aid, and was warned to notify prosecutors within 14 days if relying on an alibi (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe suffered injuries from a fall from the window of the Old Bank House Hotel in Kinsale in February 2009 while on a trip to Cork with his partner (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe lost his personal injury claim in an unsuccessful High Court action in 2015 (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man was found guilty of one count of sexually assaulting the woman on July 4th, 2019. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe complainant was 23 at the time of the offence. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe housemates had a barbecue in the garden and were socialising on the night of the offence. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAlcohol was not a factor and the complainant was drinking coke. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whatShe woke at about 4am to find her trousers pulled down and da Silva Cruz performing oral sex on her. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe kicked her legs a couple of times until he got up and left the room. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatDa Silva Cruz told gardaí the act was consensual. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman suffers from anxiety, sleepless nights and recurrent nightmares since the assault. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman is now pregnant. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatDa Silva Cruz works in IT but resigned from his job upon being convicted. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe was supporting his elderly mother back home in São Paulo. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatDa Silva Cruz has no previous convictions. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe victim was performing oral sex on her while she slept on the sofa. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe complainant was 23 years old at the time of the assault. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe housemates had a barbecue in the garden and were socialising on the night of the assault. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe complainant kicked her legs a couple of times until he got up and left the room. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatWhen arrested, the accused said the assault was consensual. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim suffers anxiety, sleepless nights and recurrent nightmares since the assault. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim needs regular therapy. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim is now pregnant. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe accused works in IT and resigned from his job upon being convicted. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe accused was supporting his elderly mother in São Paulo. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe accused had no previous convictions. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereHe is from Queensland Ave, Thatto Heath, St Helen's, Merseyside in north-west England (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe three-bedroom property housed 13 Brazilian nationals with men and women sharing rooms and sleeping in bunk beds. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe house was a three-bedroom Dublin house housing 13 Brazilian nationals. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenHe was arrested in September by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe complainant went to sleep on the sofa at about 1.30am. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe assault took place on 4 July 2019. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe complainant went to bed at around 1.30am. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe complainant woke at around 4am to find the assault in progress. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe offending by the first accused occurred on dates between 2004 and 2008 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe younger sister made a complaint in 2021 which led to the abuse against her elder sister emerging (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offending against the younger sister occurred between 2005 and 2008 (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHe is accused of seven offences including attempted deception of Aviva insurance between August 2010 and June 2015 contrary to common law (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeRemaining charges are under the Civil Liabilities Act for giving false or misleading evidence in the High Court in Dublin, to a doctor at Beaumont Hospital, and in an affidavit (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe first accused pleaded guilty to rape, oral rape and sexual assault of the older girl and sexual assault of the younger girl (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe second accused pleaded guilty to one count of rape and sexual assault of the older girl in 2005 (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHis case was listed at Dublin District Court where he was served with a book of evidence (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe DPP directed trial on indictment (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Michele Finan granted a return-for-trial order sending the case to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, listed for May 1 (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Finan ordered gardaí to hand over interview videos to the defence (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe trial took place at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in January 2025. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Orla Crowe said he breached the trust of a sleeping woman to whom he had been previously kind. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in January 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe case was heard at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Tony Hunt (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe men were remanded in custody with sentencing adjourned to 31 March (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJohn Hayden SC defended the first accused (irishtimes.com)
  • courtDara Foynes SC defended the second accused (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceA conviction could result in up to 10 years imprisonment and he has still to enter a plea (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceHe was sentenced to three years' imprisonment backdated to January 17th for time spent in custody. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceHe was placed on the sex offenders register. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe accused was placed on the sex offenders register. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe headline sentence was four years but the judge handed down a three-year term backdated to 17 January 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherGNECB Detective Yvonne Costello told the court that Platt made no reply when charged (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHe had to lodge €1,000 bail and give an undertaking not to withdraw a further €1,000 from an account (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHe must not contact witnesses directly or indirectly and must appear in court whenever required (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe defence said he was on a disability benefit getting £250 a week and had no savings or assets (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe judge noted he was a foreign national who has had no visitors since being in Midlands Prison. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe complainant asked that her name not be published. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe first accused was 12 and the older victim was 10 when the offending began (irishtimes.com)
  • otherNeither of the brothers has any previous convictions (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe first accused was arrested and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe second accused denied raping his cousin but accepted there was sexual contact (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe older victim suffers panic attacks and post-traumatic stress (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe younger sister has lost half of her family who do not believe her (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe younger sister was sexually abused beginning when she was seven and the accused was 14 (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe second accused was 14 at the time of his offence (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe first accused's defence said he had access to pornographic images from a young age (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe older victim said the abuse left her feeling worthless, unlovable, ashamed and unclean (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe younger sister said she does not think she would ever feel safe again (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 10 Mar2025
    Convictedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Sisters lost half their family after reporting sexual abuse by older cousin, court hears

    Guilty pleas recorded at Central Criminal Court; victims' impact statements read; sentencing adjourned to 31 March 2025.

    convicted, 33, maleconvicted, 34, malevictim, femalevictim, female
  2. 10 Mar2025
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Man who sexually assaulted flatmate while she lay sleeping on sofa is jailed

    Sentencing details including judge's comments on the breach of trust, victim impact statement describing anxiety and nightmares, background of the 13-person Brazilian house share, and the accused's IT career and support of his elderly mother in São Paulo.

    victim, 23, female, Brazilian, non-irishconvicted, Lucas Da Silva Cruz, 30, male, Brazilian, named, non-irishLucas Da Silva Cruz
  3. 10 Mar2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Man jailed for sexually assaulting flatmate while she slept

    Sentencing details including Judge Orla Crowe's remarks, the victim impact statement, background on the shared housing of 13 Brazilian nationals, and the accused's employment and family circumstances.

    victim, 23, female, Brazilian, non-irishconvicted, Lucas da Silva Cruz, 30, male, Brazilian, named, non-irishLucas da Silva Cruz
  4. 10 Mar2025
    In courtirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Ex-chef faces trial after losing €2m compo claim against Cork hotel

    First report of the case; Platt served with a book of evidence at Dublin District Court and sent for trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, listed for May 1.

    accused, Jason Platt, 53, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Jason Platt