Man (36) who groped worker while ‘masturbating’ in store toilets avoids jail

Ianos Carolea (36) came out of the bathroom stalls masturbating before assaulting the employee who was washing his hands at the sink.

Carolea was from a conservative background and "stuck in a time warp” when he carried out the offence at a major Dublin city centre store, his defence said.

Judge Bryan Smyth gave him an eight-month suspended sentence.

Carolea, of The Hermitage, Balgriffin, Dublin 13, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to sexual assault on a date in September 2021.

Garda John Timmons said on the day, the accused was in the male bathrooms of the department store when he exited the stall with his erect penis in an act of masturbation.

He went to the sink area where a male staff member was washing his hands and “made an attempt to open the zip of the staff member.”

The victim protested and Carolea groped the man’s backside, the court heard. The victim then left the bathroom.

The accused had previously been fined for two counts of public masturbation around the same time. He had not come to garda attention since.

The victim had not wished to make an impact statement.

Judge Smyth said this case was much more serious but having read reports that were handed in to court, there “appear to be extensive extenuating circumstances.”

Carolea was married with children but his marriage had broken down because of the cases and their press coverage which had a “catastrophic effect” on his family, his solicitor Michael Kelleher said.

Carolea accepted he had brought that on his family through his behaviour.

Mr Kelleher said the accused came from a very conservative background but society had moved on from where it had been years ago and there was “no necessity for this type of behaviour.”

“He was somewhat stuck in a time warp and engaged in reckless, offensive behaviour,” Mr Kelleher said.

Carolea had been going through a difficult time in his life and made “terrible, reckless decisions.”

His family were shocked and found it very hard to come to terms with his behaviour but had been supportive of him once he engaged in counselling.

There had been no further incidents and the accused was not a threat, Mr Kelleher said.

He asked the court to “go down the non-custodial route.”

Judge Smyth said he believed a custodial sentence was warranted but suspended it for two years.