A 39 year old homeless man has gone on trial in Cork on charges of sexually assaulting a 17 year old girl. The teenager told Cork Circuit Criminal Court she was sexually assaulted after a man dragged her over the wall of a shopping centre as she walked home after a night out with her friends. The alleged victim said she did not see the man's face.
Sgt Tom Myers read a statement made by the accused man six days after the alleged assault on August 25th, 1996 in which he said he saw the girl walking down the road and thought she was goodlooking. He walked towards her and caught hold of her arms. "I tried to kiss her. She pushed me away, he said.
The case, before Judge A.G. Murphy and a jury, continues.