A sexual assault case against a Mayo farmer which was heard at Castlebar District Court on Wednesday was adjourned until July 26 for a decision. The farmer strongly denied the charges and claimed his accuser demanded €1,000 from him to buy a car.
The court heard that on October 19 2012 around 5pm, a receptionist at a vet practice in Mayo said that a regular customer came in to the clinic. She said that the man passed a few smart remarks and asked her if she wanted to go for a spin. Another customer came in to the clinic and the farmer waited around. After this customer went the man came behind the reception desk to the girl (who was 17 at the time ) and she said that he placed his two hands on her legs— one of the upper thigh and one on the lower thigh—and he bent down to her level. She told the court that she stood up as she got a fright, turned away from him and told him to “f**k off”. She said that the man then slapped her bum lightly. She said that she was scared and told him that he should not be there. She said that he replied to her “less of your cheek” and he started laughing. The minor walked away and the man left the clinic.
She contacted her sister who arrived in the clinic. While her sister was there the clinic’s phone rang and the girl answered it. She said that the man was on the phone and he said to her “will I come for you?”, she said that she told him to “f**k off”. Her sister told the court that she took the phone and asked the man what he did to her sister. She said that he replied “she asked me to”.
A vet from the practice was contacted after the incident and he returned to the clinic. The owner of the practice, who was out of the country at the time, was also informed about what happened. Both the vet and owner of the practice gave evidence in court. The owner of the practice said that he spoke to the man about the incident and was told by him that the girl “is older than you think”.
The injured party told the court that she had been working in the vets since 2011 but had been laid off this week. She said that the man in question “came across as sleaze to me”. She said that smart remarks were made with him but she never flirted with him; “he repulsed me”.
The woman went to the gardaí the night of the incident with her father and made a formal statement the following day.
Garda Fergal O’Gara said that he arrested the man in January of this year. He told the garda that the girl took his mobile phone from the counter and held it in her grasp and demanded €1,000 from him so that she could buy a car. He claimed that she would only give him back the phone if he gave her the money and so he went around the counter and took it off her. He said that he may have touched her leg when he retrieved his phone. The man admitted ringing the clinic after the incident, but did so as he wanted a vet to call out to a sick animal.
The farmer told the court that two days before the court he received some calls from a girl about cattle in The Dealer from a blocked number where comments were made to him about Belgium Blues having “a good arse”. He said that when he was in the vets that day that the girl remarked that a woman who worked in the vets shop had a “fine arse” like a Belgium Blue.
He also said that the girl told him that the other receptionist was “having it off” with the owner of the practice. He said that she said to him that she knew that he had a lot of cattle and that “you have plenty of money”. He said she took his phone and asked him for €1,000. He said she commented “give me my f*****g money and I’ll give you the phone back.” He said he went around the counter took his phone and went home. He said that he did call the vets back as he needed a vet to come out to his land to visit a sick animal but was told to “f**k off” on the phone.
Judge Mary Devins said that she wanted to review her notes and adjourned the case to July 26 for a decision.
