Sex pest who repeatedly targeted women at bus stops jailed for groping victim

James Sweeney (53) and the woman both then got on to a Dublin Bus, and he was identified from CCTV footage on the bus.

Before he sexually assaulted her, Sweeney had asked the woman if she would like to go for a coffee.

Judge Dermot Dempsey convicted and sentenced Sweeney to eight months in prison.

Swords District Court heard Sweeney had seven previous convictions for similar offences.

He had previously grabbed women’s bottoms and touched their breasts at bus stops, in church grounds and on a main road on dates in 2004 and 2005.

The defendant, of Blackberry Rise in Portmarnock, admitted sexually assaulting the woman in Portmarnock on July 13, 2021.

Garda Ciaran Sally said the 27-year-old victim and the defendant were standing at a bus stop when Sweeney, who was unknown to her, asked her to go for a cup of coffee.

She refused and tried not to interact with him, but Sweeney started to touch himself and masturbate.

Gda Sally said Sweeney then lunged toward the woman and groped her breast.

Both parties got on to a Dublin Bus, with Sweeney getting off the bus in Baldoyle, and the woman heading further into town.

Gda Sally said Sweeney was identified as the culprit through CCTV footage on the bus.

Defence solicitor Bernard Stobie said Sweeney, who was on disability allowance, had been suffering from panic attacks about what the court might do in this matter and he “realised he was in trouble”.

The solicitor said Sweeney was the main carer for his elderly mother, who was not well. He also had mental health difficulties.

Mr Stobie asked the judge to consider imposing a suspended sentence.

Judge Dempsey refused, saying “that ship has sailed”, adding that Sweeney had previously benefited from working with the probation services.

Imposing an eight-month sentence, Judge Dempsey recommended that Sweeney receive any mental health treatment required while he was in custody.