Man sexually assaulted woman, punched her in the face and threw her off a balcony, court hears

A man who sexually assaulted a woman, punched her in the face and threw her off a balcony has been sentenced to eight and a half years in jail for this and other offences.

Jonathan Moles (30) of De Paul Trust, Little Britain Street, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and assault causing harm of a woman at a flat on Botanic Avenue, Dublin 9 on August 8th, 2020.

He further admitted to assaulting a man causing him harm in a random attack while the victim was withdrawing cash from an ATM machine on Capel Street on July 8th, 2019.

The court heard the victim suffered a fractured eye socket after Moles punched him in the face in broad daylight.

Laura Kennedy: It’s hard to put my finger on what’s different about the atmosphere in this gym

---

Gordon D'Arcy: Sexton’s leadership vacuum will be felt as Leinster can’t replicate the emotion of La Rochelle match

---

Love Lies Bleeding review: The best grubby, bloody lesbian thriller of the season

---

Test drive: BYD’s Seal-U SUV to come with hybrid power

---

Moles also pleaded guilty to attacking a man on his way home from a night out in the city centre on November 18th, 2019, and to robbing this victim of over €2,000 in cash.

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday, Judge Martin Nolan said Moles has a “violent disposition” and deserved a long term of imprisonment for his “cumulative misbehaviour”.

“He had no problem at all committing serious crimes: a violent, unprovoked assault, a violent robbery and a violent sexual attack,” said the judge.

The court heard that Moles was on bail for the offence in 2019 when he sexually assaulted and attacked a woman after spending the day with her and another companion.

The court heard the woman had spent time begging with the third man, Billy, through whom she came to know Moles, and that the three of them spent a couple of hours drinking together that afternoon in August 2020.

The trio returned to Billy’s flat on Botanic Avenue and when Billy went out to buy more drink, Moles and the woman consumed cocaine together.

Billy returned and they all decided to go to bed at around 2am – Billy on the floor, with Moles and the woman top to toe in one bed.

The woman later told gardaí that she got out of bed when Moles refused her request to stop rubbing her leg. Moles also got out of bed and poured a can of cider over her head, whereupon Billy stood up and told him to stop.

Moles hit Billy several times in the face, kneed him in the face and stopped him leaving his own apartment, whereupon Billy jumped off his own first-floor balcony to the ground 10ft below.

The woman went out to the balcony to check on Billy when Moles came out, grabbed her hard by the neck and pressed her up against the wall.

She turned her head away when he tried to kiss her and after he put his hand down her pants she struck him in the testicles with her knee.

Moles then punched her in the face, lifted her towards the balcony and pushed her off. The woman fell 10ft and was found a short time later by gardaí, lying on the ground holding her ankle and screaming in pain.

She was taken by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, and treated for a broken ankle and bruising to her arms and face.

Moles was seen heading for a nearby laneway and after his arrest, he was deemed unfit for interview for six hours. He later admitted drinking with the woman and Billy but denied the offences.

Moles has 40 previous convictions, mostly for money laundering and possession of drugs. He has no other convictions for assault or robbery.

Luigi Rea BL, defending, told the court that Moles became father to a young daughter last September and wanted to “clean the slate” and get rid of all charges against him.

The court heard the Moles has completed a number of courses and is determined to rehabilitate himself.

Judge Nolan accepted that Moles had pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and had taken steps to change himself.

• Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
• Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
• Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here