A Ryanair cabin crew member who was sexually assaulted by an extremely drunk passenger has told the Circuit Criminal Court she was "only doing my job" when she was groped and kissed and had her head pulled towards the passenger's groin in front of her colleagues in the crew area of a Dublin bound flight.
The woman said the incident changed her life entirely and the road to recovery "feels long and unreachable".
Aaron Brady, from Main Street, Killeshandra, Co Cavan, offered a personal apology from the witness box and told the the woman: "I am really, really sorry, sincerely, this is out of character for me, I can't believe it. I'm so sorry for the trauma this has caused you. This is not me at all, I don't remember anything at all, I'm really, really, really sorry."
The 31-year-told told gardaí he had no memory of the incident which happened when he was returning from a holiday with his partner. The court was told he had consumed a large amount of wine in the airport and bought a further 12 to 15 miniature bottles on the flight.
About 40 minutes before the plane was due to land, he approached the crew area of the aircraft on his way to use the toilet and engaged in conversation with cabin crew. He placed his foot on one crew member's lap and she pushed it away, realising he was drunk and slurring his words.
He then felt the inside of her leg and kissed her cheek before grabbing her head and pulling it towards his groin. He then started to remove his jumper before going in to the toilet but when he emerged he again assaulted the woman by rubbing her thigh and buttock.
'Layer of shame'
Garda Sinead Murphy told the court they were alerted while the plane was still in the air and Brady was arrested for being a disruptive passenger when the plane landed. He was too drunk to be interviewed and later woke up disorientated with no memory of what happnened.
His partner, who had fallen asleep on the plane, told gardaí his behaviour was totally out of character for him. He was subsequently interviewed when gardaí received a report of the sexual assault and said he had no memory of the incident. He pleaded guilty when the case came to court.
In her victim impact statement read to the court by Garda Murphy, the woman said she had suffered a financial loss of over €3,000 from being off work sick, taking voluntary leave and eventually resigning.
She said: "I am writing this to share how the actions of this person has impacted my life by being sexually assaulted in a tight space with colleagues there."
She said she has suffered intense anxiety and recurring nightmares since the assault, and the incident compunded past traumas which she had managed to overcome but now found herself "back to square one".
She said it had taken a huge toll on her sleep and her sense of safety and peace had been shattered. She said she felt nauseous going to work and was "only doing my job when this happened", adding that she still has a "layer of shame" and still feels "disgusting".
The incident affected her relationship, which she had to leave, and she was now waiting to see a psychologist.
"The road to recovery feels long and unreachable but I am taking it one day at a time," she said.
"Life had not been the kindest to me and what happened was a heavy load."
The woman said she was happy her voice was being heard and that Aaron Brady is "being held accountable".
"I hope no one ever has to go through what I did," she said, adding that it changed her life entirely, affecting her mental health, ability to work and her relationships.
€5,000 in compensation
Defence counsel Keith Spencer told the court his client came from a good family and had a problem with alcohol.
He said the amount of alcohol he had consumed on the flight was "mind boggling" and was in double figures in terms of the number of drinks he was sold on the plane.
He said Brady was going to write a letter of apology but instead wanted to deliver it in person from the witness box, and that the apology was "heartfelt".
He said his client had saved €5,000 in compensation and having heard how the woman had suffered financially becasue of being out of work, he was asking for more time to raise another €5,000.
Mr Spencer said his client was shocked by the incident and it was a horrific thing to be told. He had cooperated fully and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
He said Brady worked in an ice cream factory and played GAA at a high level.
He said that from the probation report, it stood out that Brady had a high level of empathy for the victim, had taken full responsibility and acknowleged he had to change.
This had been "rock bottom", he added.
The court was told Brady had not been drinking since the incident and was seeking help for his addiction.
Judge Jonathan Dunphy adjourned the case to next month and said he was reluctantly remanding Brady on bail to allow him time to raise more money.
Prosecuting counsel Tessa White told the judge the maximum sentence for the offence was ten years.
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