A man who stalked a woman from a late night bus before sexually attacking her in a park has been jailed for seven years.
Eduard Boaca (23) told the woman during the December 2016 incident that he had a knife and would kill her unless she performed oral sex on him.
Six months later Boaca trapped a woman in a toilet cubicle in a McDonald’s restaurant, again saying he had a knife and demanding oral sex.
The victim in the second case told Boaca what he was doing was wrong and persuaded him not to carry out the attack. She got him to promise not to do it again and he let her go.
Boaca, of Bramblefield Park, Clonee, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and sexual assault of the woman in Clonee on December 18th, 2016. He also pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of a woman at McDonald's on Grafton Street on May 4th last.
Judge Martin Nolan imposed a five year sentence for the first offence. He imposed a sentence of four years on the later offence, which must run consecutively because Boaca committed this offence while on bail.
Judge Nolan said he would suspend the final two years of the sentence in the hope that Boaca will rehabilitate himself. Boaca’s previous convictions are for minor offences.
The court heard that the first incident began as a robbery when Boaca followed the woman off a Nitelink bus. During the robbery he touched her breasts and under her dress. He then threatened her and demanded oral sex.
He told her if she didn’t do what he said “bad things” would happen. The woman managed to get away and ran out in front of a passing taxi.
Intention
The court heard that in the second incident Boaca hid in a cubicle of the women’s toilets in McDonald’s late at night with the intention of sexually assaulting a woman.
Garda Wayne Carey said the victim was a “strong lady” and was able to talk Boaca down. He told her he was doing this because his girlfriend had broken up with him and the victim told him it was “not ok”.
Boaca began crying and agreed to promise not to do it again before letting her leave. The ordeal lasted around 15 minutes.
In a victim impact statement she said the incident has affected her trust in men. She said she never goes into public bathrooms alone anymore.
The victim of the 2016 attack said that she could not sleep for weeks afterwards and was afraid to leave her home alone for months. She could not return to college because she was afraid to travel there and back on public transport.
She said the locks to her home had to be changed because her keys and passport were in the handbag taken by Boaca. She said this and the stolen mobile phone left her with a €1,100 financial loss.
Michael Bowman SC, defending, said his client had been drinking for a protracted period before the first attack. He said he was living on the streets after breaking up with his girlfriend and then having a row with his parents.
Judge Nolan said Boaca had expressed genuine remorse but he questioned his explanation for his behaviour.
“What sparked off this behaviour is a mystery. The only explanation was that he had broken up with his girlfriend. I find that hard to believe,” the judge said.