classy lassy
eiresol | July 27, 2007Woman admits sex on the Dart
“This is the young woman accused of having sex in front of horrified passengers on a rushhour Dart.”
Debbie O’Connell (21) is alleged to have performed sex acts with a man in a carriage full of disgusted commuters in broad daylight. O’Connell appeared in court charged in connection with the incident last summer. She is accused of engaging in sexual activity in public while the train was at Sandycove Dart Station.
The graphic display is alleged to have happened on the evening of July 5, 2006. Judge Clare Leonard adjourned the case for a month after Dun Laoghaire District Court heard the defendant intends pleading guilty to the charge. Her alleged partner in the tryst was not before the court. O’Connell, of Cromlech Fields, Ballybrack, did not speak during the brief hearing.
She sat flanked by gardai at the side of the courtroom after being brought in in custody. Dressed drably in a white top, blue jeans and blue and white runners, she sat motionless. O’Connell waited for several hours to have her case heard, but Judge Leonard said she had to adjourn it because of the day’s lengthy court list.
“She is anxious to have the matter dealt with”, Defence Solicitor Ronnie Lynam said.
“She is indicating a plea at this stage”. However, Mr Lynam also requested disclosure of a summary of the prosecution’s case against O’Connell. Judge Leonard ordered gardai to do this within two weeks.
O’Connell was in custody for another matter and was before the court on foot of a summons. The offence alleged is that she engaged in sexual activity in such a way as to “offend modesty and injure the morals of the community” in a public place. The charge is contrary to Section 18 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Amendment Act. O’Connell was 20 years old at the time. Passengers were reportedly appalled by the incident on board the 5.50pm Dart from Connolly last summer.
The couple were not arrested at the time, and their identification is believed to have been aided by station CCTV footage. The train did not have cameras inside the carriages.