Man charged with alleged attack on woman in Cork city centre  

A woman walking along French Church Street in the heart of Cork city was sexually assaulted by a man shortly before noon on Wednesday and now a man has been arrested and brought before Cork District Court charged with the alleged attack.

28-year-old Chinonso Igboanusi of no fixed address appeared at Cork District Court where Garda Thomas McKenna gave evidence of the young man’s arrest on charges of sexual assault, common assault (under Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act) and obstruction of a garda.

Sergeant Aisling Murphy said gardaí were objecting to bail. 

Garda McKenna gave an outline of the allegations in the case saying that one of the grounds for the objection to bail was the seriousness of the case.

On June 19 at 11.20am while on mobile patrol, gardaí were entering Oliver Plunkett Street when they were approached by a man who said he was in foot pursuit of man who had allegedly sexually assaulted his female partner on French Church Street. 

He had a picture of the suspect on his phone.

Within a short period of time he was joined by his partner who was clearly upset. She outlined that as she was walking down French Church Street in the direction of Paul Street she was approached and grabbed forcefully by her rear and pushed forward by man who then ran away.

“She screamed and he made off from the scene running. She again saw the suspect on St Patrick’s Street and identified him to her partner who gave chase until they apprehended him,” Garda McKenna said.

Eddie Burke, solicitor, said of the accused: “I don’t think he is fit to deal with this. I have concerns about his mental health – serious concerns. This man is not fit to deal with the matter because of his mental state.” 

When Judge Mary Dorgan referred to remanding the accused in custody for one week, Mr Burke said: “If he is remanded he should be assessed by a psychiatrist immediately.” 

Judge Dorgan recommended that he be seen by a prison psychiatrist.

Before the case was dealt with in Courtroom 1 today the accused man was sitting in the dock and occasionally gestured widely with his arms. He repeatedly laughed to himself placing his hand in front of his mouth in an apparent effort to control the outbursts.