Lurgan man who sexually assaulted the same woman twice is released on bail to appeal his jail sentence

Ryan Thompson, aged 36, from Wolf Island Terrace, Lurgan, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with two counts of sexual assault.

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Thompson was accused of intentionally touching a woman sexually without her consent twice on the same date, January 4 last year.

He contested the charges at a previous court but was convicted of both charges.

The court heard the victim had been staying in the same property as Thompson. She was in her room, standing doing her hair when the defendant approached her from behind ‘reached around and grabbed her breasts’.

"The second assaulted happened when the victim was in her bed. The defendant got into bed with her and was kissing her. She did not consent to this at any stage,” said a prosecutor, adding that at one point the defendant touched the defendant on her vagina which she also didn’t consent to.

Thompson’s barrister Mr John Paul McCann said there was a pre-sentence report before the court. He said: “These convictions will cause him some major difficulties going forward. He has a partner and five children.”

He added that Thompson has no previous convictions for this type of offending. “He is not a risk of significant harm to the public. There is no established pattern of this type of behaviour with regards to this defendant.”

Mr McCann said Thompson, who is ful- time employment, is in a long-term relationship with his partner, adding he lives between his partner’s address and his grandmother’s address as he provides assistance to both as well as the five children.

"He is an industrious man working for the last 20 years, all of his adult life. That loss of income, should he be committed to custody, would severely disadvantage his children, his partner and his grandmother,” said the barrister.

"He doesn’t use illicit substances and, he instructs, only drinks alcohol at the weekend. He had been suffering from severe mental health issues since this case came to light and as a result of these proceedings he has suffered extreme anxiety and bouts of depression,” said Mr McCann.

He added Thompson has been “out of trouble well over a year” and suggested Probation rather than custody or if custody is an option to ‘leave something hanging over his head’.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said the victim should be at “the heart” of the sentencing exercise adding she had prepared a Victim Impact Statement.

“It is important the wider community knows the impact this type of offending can have on people,” he said.

He read passages from the statement including: “Since this incident I have become the shell of the woman I was beforehand. I am living life daily walking on eggshells and most of the time simple things cripple me with anxiety, panic and nausea. I feel sick to my stomach constantly. I have shut myself off from friends and family which, in return, has had a huge impact on the relationships I had with them – relationships that were hugely important to myself and to my kids.

"My partner has to announce himself before coming into the room to me so I know it’s him. He has to be with me everywhere I go. I can’t be with any man that isn’t him or family.

"Not only did he (the defendant) ruin my self esteem, my confidence and my trust. He also ruined my relationship that I had with my children and ruined the accommodation I had at that time because they had nowhere to stay with me – two children who adored their mother and a mother that lives and worshipped her two children – that is two or three months I won’t get back with my children.

"He took advantage of me when I was most vulnerable,” said the statement. “He has ruined not just me as a person but as a mother, a daughter, a sister and a partner and that isn’t something that is going to be easily fixed.”

The district judge said he wanted to read that out, not to cause embarrassment but that the victim knows the court has “put her right at the heart of any sentencing exercise”.

"The other side of the coin has to be taken into account as well, that Mr Thompson has no record for this type of heinous offending.

"Often in this court I sit and say short sentences of imprisonment do little good whatsoever and really we need to try and fix certain behaviours. I’m not sure we can fix this type of behaviour, taking advantage of a vulnerable young woman in the circumstances Mr Thompson did,” said the district judge.

"I am not the biggest fan of short terms of imprisonment but this is a case that will attract that on a deterrent basis,” he said, pointing out Thompson contested the charges, which was his right, but also must pay the penalty for that.

For the first charge, involving touching the woman’s breasts, he was given a three months jail term.

"In relation to the second account, that is the hand down the underwear and touch of the vagina, that is a term of imprisonment of five months,” said the district judge, adding the sentences are to run concurrently. Thompson is also ordered to pay the £25 offender levy.

Regarding the Restraining Order, the district judge said the case has had a “long term effect’ on the victim and her family and issued a three-year Restraining Order. Thompson will be ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

Thompson was released on his own bail of £300 to appeal the sentence.