TWO MALE taxi passengers were praised by Judge Cyril Kelly at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after he heard they had made a citizens' arrest of a man who was assaulting a young woman.
Judge Kelly also noted the role played by the taxi driver in trying to apprehend John McKenna, whose uninvited advances were being resisted by his screaming victim in the early hours of May 25th, 1995.
"This had all the potential of being a more serious case but for the intervention of these men said Judge Kelly. "It's unusual and restores one's faith in at least some members of our society."
McKenna (21), of Lissadel Avenue, Dublin, admitted sexually assaulting the woman. Judge Kelly remanded him on continuing bail for sentence on July 8th next and directed that a psychiatric report, requested by defence counsel Mr Padraig Dwyer, be prepared for that hearing.
Garda Thomas Burke said that McKenna had been sitting in an abandoned car when the woman came along Crumlin Road at about 2.30 a.m. She rejected his verbal advances and walked on faster, but noticed that he was following her.
She recalled that she had been "more annoyed than frightened" at that stage, Garda Burke told Mr Desmond Zaiden, prosecuting.
McKenna caught up with the woman and pulled her from behind by her hair. He told her he wanted sex and fancied her while he fondled her body. When he tried to drag her down a laneway she kneed him in the groin and ran off.
Garda Burke said that McKenna again followed her and grabbed he hair. She fell to the ground which resisting his efforts to kiss and fondle her. It was at this stage that the taxi pulled up and McKenna ran off.
The taximan radioed for Garda assistance and cruised the area to search for the woman's attacker. McKenna was chased on foot by the two male passengers, who arrested him on Rafter's Road and held him until gardai arrived.