A man absconded from a mental health facility where he was an involuntary inpatient hours before he falsely imprisoned a woman for a short period, a court has heard.
Alexander Crowley (20) was “acutely psychotic” at the time of this offence, defence senior counsel Gerardine Small told the court, noting her client has a diagnosis of treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Small said her instructions are that Crowley was “labouring in a serious misapprehension” that he was in a relationship with the woman, but he accepts this was not the case.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Crowley waited in the vicinity of the injured party’s workplace for about 15 minutes. She was leaving her workplace at around 10pm when he grabbed her from behind, holding his hand over her mouth while she tried to scream out for help.
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In her victim impact statement, the woman said Crowley’s actions on the night were “planned and targeted”, that she feared for her life and believed in that moment he would kill her.
She said she felt “powerless and terrified”, and that it was lucky her screams were heard by colleagues. She said she was in a “total state of shock” afterwards and that her life has changed significantly since.
Crowley, of Summerhill Terrace, Dalkey Avenue, Dalkey, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment of the woman and stalking her on a date in August 2024. He has no previous convictions.
Judge Orla Crowe imposed a sentence of three years with the final year suspended on conditions. These include that he have no contact with the injured party for 10 years, he continues to take psychiatric medication and he come under the supervision of the Probation Service for one year after his release.
Crowe noted that while the incident lasted less than 30 seconds, the duration was not “the determining factor”.
“The injured party did not know what the outcome was going to be when she was being attacked,” she said.
The judge said were it not for the mental health issues she would have set a headline sentence of six years. She said Crowley’s offending was “diminished by his mental health difficulties at the time”.
She also noted he is a very young man and has made significant efforts towards rehabilitation. She said the court accepted as “genuine and sincere” Crowley’s “unreserved apology”.
An investigating garda previously told barrister John Gallagher, prosecuting, that several months before this incident, Crowley began to regularly visit the woman’s workplace and on one occasion brought her a bunch of flowers, saying he liked her.
She made it clear to Crowley she had no interest in a romantic relationship. The woman later told gardaí that Crowley’s behaviour seemed off.
The court was told the woman did not see Crowley for several months.
On the night in question, she had arranged to socialise with colleagues after work and left ahead of a larger group to meet a friend. As she was walking, she saw a person with their hood up who wasn’t moving properly and taking tiny steps.
She walked quickly past and when she got one or two steps ahead, heard movement. She turned her head and noticed it was Crowley.
He lunged at her, grabbed her from behind in a bear hug, trapping her arms by her side. The woman screamed for help, using her elbows to push him and managed to get free.
She only got a few steps away before he grabbed her again, put his arm around her body and his hand over her mouth. CCTV of the incident, which lasted around 30 seconds, was played to the court.
As the woman struggled, she saw her colleagues approaching. Crowley let go of her and ran off. The court was told he had been waiting in the street for up to 15 minutes for her.
The woman said she was genuinely in fear for her life. She told gardaí Crowley said her name and was giggling.
The garda agreed with Small that the false imprisonment was very brief.
The court heard Crowley has a considerable psychological background and had been an involuntary inpatient under the Mental Health Act in the weeks before this incident occurred.
The garda agreed a public alert was issued for Crowley after he absconded from the mental health facility several days before this incident due to concerns for his own safety. He was returned to the facility, but absconded again on the day in question.
He was brought back to the facility by gardaí several days after his offending.
Reading her victim impact statement, the woman described “feeling on edge” when Crowley came into her workplace as it was clear to her and her colleagues he was coming to watch her.
She said this was stressful. She said she became aware he was in hospital and went to work believing she was safe.
She said she had to give up her job after the incident and no longer goes out alone.
The woman said her world is now much smaller and she lives with the fearsomething similar could happen again. She described experiencing anxiety, distress and a lasting sense of fear and vulnerability.
She said this was something she will carry for the rest of her life, but she hoped by facing it, she would regain some control and start to rebuild her life.
