Alleged sexual assault of woman in Garda station was ‘consensual’, jury told

A jury has been told that the alleged sexual assault of a woman by a garda in a Co Wicklow Garda station was “consensual activity between two adults”.

Defence counsel in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial told the jury the defence case is that the woman cupped her own bottom cheeks, pressed herself against the accused garda and showed him her breast at the station before they went upstairs together for consensual sexual activity.

The woman repeatedly denied the defence assertions, telling the court that it “definitely did not happen”.

William Ryan (38) has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and not guilty to one count of false imprisonment of the woman at Aughrim Garda Station, Main Street, Aughrim, Co Wicklow on September 29th, 2020.

It is the State’s case that Mr Ryan prevented the complainant from leaving Aughrim Garda Station and sexually assaulted her three times.

The woman had gone to the Garda station for advice about retrieving her son’s car,…