Thursday 5 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. 27952Sexual assault; false imprisonment; offensive conduct of a sexual nature · Co. Laois · 29 Sep 2020

Man sent for trial on sexual assault and false imprisonment in Laois

A 35-year-old public servant with an address in County Laois was charged with three counts of sexual assault on a woman at his workplace on 29 September 2020, false imprisonment of the same woman at the same place and date, and offensive conduct of a sexual nature at another location in County Laois between 23 August 2019 and 25 February 2021. He was sent forward from Dublin District Court to face trial and appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 18 February 2022. A reporting restriction order imposed by Judge Treasa Kelly in October 2021 prevented his identification. Lawyers for RTÉ, Independent News and Media, the Irish Times and the Daily Mail Group applied to lift the restriction, and Judge Melanie Greally indicated she was minded to do so but reserved her decision to 24 February 2022.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court18 Feb
    3 reports
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The accused is a 35-year-old man and a public servant with an address in County Laois.
  • The victim is a woman.
When
  • The sexual assault and false imprisonment occurred on 29 September 2020.
  • The offensive conduct occurred between 23 August 2019 and 25 February 2021.
Where
  • The sexual assault and false imprisonment took place at the man's workplace in County Laois.
  • The offensive conduct took place at another location in County Laois.
Charges
  • The man is charged with three counts of sexual assault on a woman at his workplace on 29 September 2020.
  • The man faces an allegation of false imprisonment of the woman at the same workplace on 29 September 2020.
  • The man faces a charge of offensive conduct of a sexual nature at another location in County Laois between 23 August 2019 and 25 February 2021.
In court
  • The man was sent forward from Dublin District Court to face trial and appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 18 February 2022.
  • A reporting restriction order was imposed by Judge Treasa Kelly in October 2021.
  • Lawyers for RTÉ, Independent News and Media, the Irish Times and the Daily Mail Group applied to lift the restriction, and Judge Melanie Greally reserved her decision to 24 February 2022.
28 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe accused is a 35-year-old man (kildarenow.com)
  • whatThe accused is a public servant (kildarenow.com)
  • whatThe man is a public servant (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • whatThe man is aged 35 (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • whatHe faces an allegation of false imprisonment of the woman at the same place and on the same date. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whatA fifth charge is for engaging in offensive conduct of a sexual nature at another location in the same Leinster county between 23 August 2019 and 25 February 2021. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whereThe accused has an address in County Laois (kildarenow.com)
  • whereThe man has an address in County Laois (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • whenThe sexual assault and false imprisonment occurred on 29 September 2020 (kildarenow.com)
  • whenThe offensive conduct occurred between 23 August 2019 and 25 February 2021 (kildarenow.com)
  • chargeThe accused is charged with three counts of sexual assault on a woman at his workplace (kildarenow.com)
  • chargeThe accused faces an allegation of false imprisonment of the woman at the same workplace on the same date (kildarenow.com)
  • chargeThe fifth charge is for engaging in offensive conduct of a sexual nature at another location in the same Leinster county (kildarenow.com)
  • chargeThe man is charged with three counts of sexual assault on a woman at his workplace on 29 September 2020 (leinsterexpress.ie, longfordleader.ie)
  • chargeThe man faces an allegation of false imprisonment of the woman at the same workplace on 29 September 2020 (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • chargeThe man faces a charge of offensive conduct of a sexual nature at another location in County Laois between 23 August 2019 and 25 February 2021 (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • courtThe accused appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 18 February 2022 (kildarenow.com)
  • courtThe accused was sent forward from Dublin District Court to face trial (kildarenow.com)
  • courtTom Murphy BL applied to lift the order on behalf of RTÉ, Independent News and Media, the Irish Times and the Daily Mail Group (kildarenow.com)
  • courtThe DPP's view is that reporting the defendant's name would not identify the complainant (kildarenow.com)
  • courtDefence solicitor Martin Moran made the original application for the reporting restriction (kildarenow.com)
  • courtThe man appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 18 February 2022 (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • courtThe man was sent forward from Dublin District Court to face trial (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • courtTom Murphy BL applied on behalf of RTÉ, INM, the Irish Times and the Daily Mail Group to lift the reporting restriction (leinsterexpress.ie)
  • courtThe DPP stated that reporting the defendant's name would not give rise to identification of the complainant (leinsterexpress.ie, longfordleader.ie)
  • courtHe appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 18 February 2022, having been sent forward from Dublin District Court to face trial. (longfordleader.ie)
  • courtTom Murphy BL applied on behalf of RTÉ, Independent News and Media, the Irish Times and the Daily Mail Group to have the order lifted. (longfordleader.ie)
  • otherThe man is 35 years old and a public servant with an address in Co Laois. (longfordleader.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 18 Feb2022
    In courtlongfordleader.ie, its first report
    Media want ban lifted on identifying midlands man accused of falsely imprisoning and sexually assaulting woman

    Covers the 18 February 2022 hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where RTÉ, INM, the Irish Times and the Daily Mail Group applied to lift the anonymity order imposed by Judge Treasa Kelly in October 2021; Judge Greally reserved her decision to 24 February 2022.

    suspect, 35, malevictim, female
  2. 18 Feb2022
    In courtleinsterexpress.ie, its first report
    Media want ban lifted on Laois man accused of falsely imprisoning and sexually assaulting a woman at his workplace

    Reports on a media application to lift a reporting restriction order. Judge Greally indicated she was minded to lift the restrictions but reserved her decision until 24 February 2022, maintaining the status quo in the meantime.

    victim, femaleaccused, 35, male
  3. 18 Feb2022
    In courtkildarenow.com, first report
    Lawyers claim no reason why midlands man accused of sexually assaulting and falsely imprisoning woman in workplace cannot be identified

    Reports the sending-forward hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and the media application to lift the reporting restriction order imposed by Judge Treasa Kelly in October 2021. Judge Melanie Greally indicated she was minded to lift the restrictions but deferred her decision to the following Thursday.

    accused, 35, malevictim, female