A FORMER president of a conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul has been found guilty of harassing four women who either worked in or visited one of its charity shops.
Michael Dooley (73), of Lennon Melia Terrace, Dundalk, faced four allegations of harassing the women in the shop on Jocelyn Street, Dundalk, between January 1st, 2001, and December 30th, 2009. Sentencing was adjourned to a later date.
A special sitting of Dundalk District Court yesterday heard he had put a measuring tape around one woman to measure her bra size and he had given another woman a “present” of a red thong.
Three of the women were working in the shop on placement from training agency Fás. The fourth, who visited workers in it, was described as having a learning disability.
Convicting Dooley, Judge Flann Brennan said he was satisfied all the women were in a vulnerable position because they perceived themselves to be employees and perceived Michael Dooley to be the employer. “There is no doubt in my mind that is why they did not make complaints much earlier than they did,” he added.
The court heard hugging was commonplace in the shop and staff, volunteers and customers would often be greeted with a hug.
The first woman said the accused, “kept hugging and kissing me and feeling my bum”. She worked there in 2009 and said he would also look down her top. She wore high-neck tops to work because of this. She said he would make comments such as, “Smile if you got it last night”. She said she told him to stop but he didn’t and said she was afraid to tell anybody “in case I got sacked”.
In reply to Ciarán Oakes, defending, she agreed there was a happy atmosphere in the shop and that she liked it, “except for the hugs and kisses”.
The second woman worked in the shop from 2001 to 2005 and said he would talk about the size of her breasts. As she was serving a customer one day, she said Dooley came in with a brown paper bag in which he said there was a present for her, a red thong. She also claimed he put his hand up her back and opened the clasp on her bra. The witness agreed she was dismissed because she had stolen some perfume. She said she had owned up to it and claimed she was not the only person who took items from the premises.
He was her supervisor and she had asked him to stop, she said. She agreed with Mr Oakes that the inappropriate comments being complained of were something that people engaged in and were commonplace in the shop.
The third woman said that when he heard she had become a grandmother, Dooley had said “Can I have a bit of this woman?” She said she used to push him away but was afraid to report him.
The fourth woman, who was described as having a learning disability, used to visit relatives who worked in the shop.
She said Dooley would take her into the office and lock the door. She said he would grope her and look down her top. She asked him to stop, but “he just kept going”, she said. He would measure her for her bra size and sometime he would give her “skimpy tops to put on” and feel her bottom, she said.
The court heard from a Fás supervisor that she was never hugged by him. She said that he told one woman she “had a fine arse”. The witness told him that if he had said it to her she would have him up before the local court.
Det Sgt Brian Mohan said when he was arrested, Dooley said he would only hug people. He said it was “banter”. Asked by Sgt Mohan if he agreed what happened was inappropriate, he said, “Yes, in hindsight for a man in my position. Looking back it was inappropriate.”
Defending, Mr Oakes said it was an unusual workplace with unusual practices that probably should have been dealt with by management.
The judge said that while the accused may not have intended to cause offence, there was no question but “a reasonable person would find it inappropriate”.
The judge adjourned sentencing for two weeks and Dooley was remanded on bail.