RTÉ Journalist Jailed For Fifteen Months For Sexually Assaulting A Woman

Wednesday, 27 July 2022 09:07

By Caoimhe Harney

The woman gave evidence of waking up in his bed to find him on top of her.

A former RTÉ journalist has been jailed for fifteen months for sexually assaulting a woman who went home with him after a night out in Dublin four years ago.

Micheál O’Lidheain, from Ballinskelligs in Co Kerry, was found to have sexually assaulted her while she was sleeping.

At his sentence hearing, the woman told the court the assault left her traumatised and feeling lost in the world.

She described how he had taken advantage of her when she was at her most vulnerable.

His trial heard they met in the beer garden of a Dublin pub before he invited her back to his.

There was some consensual sexual activity there but she told him she didn’t want to have sex with him. She went to sleep soon afterwards.

She gave evidence of waking up in his bed to find him on top of her. She told the jurors he was groping her - something she didn’t consent to.

Micheál O’Lidheain, who used to work as a political reporter on Raidió na Gaeltachta, was handed an 18-month prison sentence with the final three months suspended.

His barrister had asked the judge to consider a non-custodial sentence but she felt the offence merited some time in jail.

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