A 67-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a teenager at his business premises had groomed her from her early teenage years by supplying her with drink, the complainant told the second day of the man’s trial.
The complainant, who is now 34, told the jury at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court that she believed that the man, whom she regarded as “a father figure” had chosen her to groom from among her friends because he knew she was experiencing difficulties at home.
“I was groomed from the age of 14 – I was chosen because of the situation at home – he was aware of the lack of structure in my life – things were chaotic at home,” said the woman, who explained that her father was often absent from home because of his work and his heavy drinking.
The accused, who can’t be named for legal reasons, has denied a single charge of sexual assault on the woman at a location in Waterford on a date between January 1st, 2009, and December 31st, 2010, contrary to section two of the Criminal Law (Rape) Amendment Act 1990.
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The woman also told how she believed that the accused had spiked her vodka when he persuaded her to join him for a drink after she called to his business premises to ask him for a lift home after a night out and she could not get a taxi when, she alleged, he sexually assaulted her.
“All I can remember is that he took off one boot – I don’t remember anything else because I passed out ... when I came to, my leggings and my underwear were down around my ankles and his head was between my legs, I could see him and I could feel him performing oral sex,” she told the court.
The court had heard the woman allege that some weeks or months prior to the alleged sexual assault in the business premises, the accused had asked for sexual favours after he dropped some of friends home and was on his own with her in his car.
The woman said the man asked her for “a blow job” and when she refused, he asked her for “a hand job” and he “faffed around” for up to half an hour as she repeatedly refused his requests before he finally dropped her home.
Asked by defence counsel, Colman Cody SC why the woman called to the man’s premises to ask for a lift home alone given this earlier alleged incident (which his client denied), the woman said she had no money for a taxi and she was confident in her ability to deal with such a situation.
“I did not know something was going to be dropped in my drink, I did not know I was going to be drugged,” said the woman, adding that when she called to the man’s premises she was “tipsy drunk” but she still had “my wits about me” and felt she could look after herself.
Cross-examined by Mr Cody why she returned to work for the man after the sexual assault that she alleged he committed, the woman said she felt if she quit her part-time job people would start asking questions and she didn’t want people to know what had happened.
“I decided to continue working because I didn’t want anyone to know what happened to me – I continued as normal so I wouldn’t have to leave and explain it to people – God forbid, if anyone found out, I don’t think I would have been able to deal with it, I was just 19.″ The case continues.
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