Man (29) thought sex assault was a '˜dream'

A man who sexually assaulted his sister told police he '˜thought it was a dream'.

The 29-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded guilty to sexual assault on April 3, 2015.

Both the injured party and the defendant were described in court as vulnerable individuals with ‘complex mental health issues’.

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Derry Crown Court heard the injured party, who is in her 30s, contacted her brother because she was ‘feeling low’.

The court heard he arrived the following day and, after the woman’s children went to bed, the siblings had a couple of drinks.

The injured party agreed to let her brother sleep at the bottom of her bed and she went to sleep.

The defendant remained downstairs and continued to drink.

When the woman woke up the following morning her trousers and underwear had been pulled down and the defendant was moving and ‘shaking’ on top of her.

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She got up and called him a ‘dirty b******’ before reporting the matter to police.

The court heard the defendant asked his sister: “Did I try to have sex with you?”

During interview, the defendant denied any non-consensual sexual touching and said ‘I thought it was all a dream’.

Defence counsel Sean Doherty told the court his client never made the case that his sister was lying, but that he had ‘no recollection of the behaviour’.

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He said the man is ‘genuinely remorseful’ for his behaviour and knows that as a consequence of his actions his relationship with his sister is over.

Mr Doherty said this relationship was ‘very precious’ to his client, who loves his sister ‘to bits’.

Judge Philip Babington adjourned sentencing until next week. The defendant was remanded in custody to appear in court again on January 24.