Man blamed ‘white van’ for attack on teen girl
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin described the case as bizarre as he imposed a three-year jail term, with the last year suspended, on Shane O’Neill, aged 45, of Shanacashel, Kilmichael, Macroom, Co Cork.
O’Neill pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the girl. Following his arrest on this charge, he tried to escape and assaulted gardaí in the process. He later pleaded guilty to charges arising out of that.
The judge said: “The circumstances of the assault on the girl were quite bizarre and worryingly there was no reason and no explanation.
“Months after the assault, he went to the Probation Service and he gave an explanation in relation to white vans in his head and convoluted this into the incident with the victim.”
Sgt Katrine Tansley said O’Neill was interviewed at length about the attack on the teenage girl. who was dragged around in the office building until she managed to escape. The sergeant said O’Neill never said anything about the white van.
Sgt Tansley said O’Neill cried twice and would talk about everything and anything rather than the matter under investigation and did not refer to the white van at any time during interview.
The defendant pleaded guilty to three additional charges namely attempting to escape from lawful custody at Macroom Garda Station on July 26, and assaulting Garda Carmel Nash and Garda Kieran Cremin at the garda station on that day.
Sgt Tansley said O’Neill asked to be taken to the bathroom and when at the sink he threw water at gardaí and pushed them out of his way. He ran into the yard at the back of the station and was re-arrested after a violent struggle.
Judge Ó Donnabháin imposed another one-year sentence on O’Neill on these charges but suspended the sentence.
The total prison sentence was two years, backdated to July.
Peter O’Flynn, defending, said the actions of the accused were out of character. He said the accused had come off a 12-hour shift and he believed that, two days earlier, the driver of a white van had tried to drive him off the road.
The victim in the case made no reference to the accused warning her about the danger from a white van.
She said he asked her the time and she told him it was 5pm. He repeatedly asked her the time until she showed him the time on her phone. He then accosted her, grabbed her by the arm, and forced her backwards.
She managed to escape and run up the stairs of the office, screaming for help. However, he caught her again, grabbed her by the arm and waist, and dragged her towards the door.
Sgt Tansley said the victim felt that he was trying to abduct or take her and she was highly distressed.
The victim said O’Neill scared the life out of her and since it occurred she was very nervous of strangers.
Judge Ó Donnabháin said the accused had little insight into what happened and accordingly may be a danger. He said that issue was unresolved.
“This was a terrifying incident, not properly explained by Mr O’Neill,” the judge said.
