Man jailed for sexually assaulting woman who came to view his house

Olivia Kelleher

A man who sexually assaulted a young woman who came to view his house after he advertised that he had a room to rent has been jailed for two years.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Leon O’Connor (36) was suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness when he carried out the offending behaviour on December 29th, 2021.

Det Sgt Michelle O’Leary said the injured party had responded to an advertisement for a room rental in a house.

O’Connor said he was looking for a female tenant “as they were easier to get on with” while he also indicated he did not want a smoker or drinker.

Dt Sgt O’Leary said that while setting up the viewing over the phone, O’Connor asked the woman if she was in a relationship. She thought this was an “unusual question.” The garda told the court that the woman was driven to the property by her brother.

O’Connor told the woman that he only wanted her to enter the property. He cited health concerns in relation to the pandemic for not allowing her brother in. The woman's brother waited in the car.

The defendant invited her in to see the room for rent. She noticed a number of knives on the bookcase. O’Connor closed the curtains and told her he was doing so to “prevent a draft.”

Dt Sgt O’Leary said the young woman “felt uneasy.”

“He touched her on a number of occasions going around the house. He touched her buttocks. She was afraid he had a weapon.

He brushed his hand against her left breast. As they moved through the house, she tried to remain calm. While showing her the room, he stood beside her. He caressed her vagina area.

"She was extremely frightened. She said she would need to speak to her brother before she decided [to rent the room]. She went out and got into the car and was shaking uncontrollably."

The young woman reported the matter to gardaí. Det Sgt O’Leary that the injured party was frightened O’Connor would "lure other females to his house."

In a victim impact statement, the young woman said that she lost her spark following the incident.

“I’ve been a shell of myself. As a result of what happened to me, I lost my confidence, my mental health deteriorated massively, and subsequently my relationships failed, as I felt like I lost control of it.

“All this happened at my worst time. I was homeless, out of work, when people are supposed to be looking forward to a new year and new beginnings.

“What happened to me wasn’t fair, and I didn’t deserve to be put in that position. No one does. I didn’t ask for it, and I didn’t want it, but it did happen to me. I felt so scared that night.

“I genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen to me, and the 11 or so minutes in that house alone with him felt like an eternity.”

Judge Helen Boyle said that having read psychiatric reports, it was accepted there was “ample evidence of a severe psychiatric illness” in the case. A jury previously found O’Connor guilty of sexually assaulting the woman three times during the 11-minute visit.

Judge Boyle said there was no doubt that the woman was “terrified” as she was being shown around the house. She described the young lady as a “brave” person who was doing her best to get out of a bad situation in her own life when the offence occurred.

“I want to convey my admiration for her and wish her the best. I want to thank her.”

Judge Boyle noted that O’Connor, who has an address in Uam Var Drive, Bishopstown in Cork, was a well-educated man who had worked to a high level. She said he had “gone undiagnosed with psychiatric illness for a long time.”

Judge Boyle said the supportive family of the accused were doing their best to help him. O’Connor was without previous convictions.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.