A man absconded from a mental health facility where he had been detained as an involuntary patient just hours before falsely imprisoning a woman for a brief period, a court has heard.
Defence senior counsel Gerardine Small told the court that Alexander Crowley (20) was “acutely psychotic” at the time of the offence and has a diagnosis of treatment-resistant schizophrenia, reports Breaking News.
Small said her instructions were that Crowley was “labouring in a serious misapprehension” that he was in a relationship with the woman, though he now accepts that was not the case.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Crowley waited near the injured party’s workplace for about 15 minutes, reports Breaking News.
As the woman left work at approximately 10pm, he approached her from behind, covering her mouth with his hand as she attempted to call out for help.
In her victim impact statement, the woman said Crowley’s actions were “planned and targeted”, that she feared for her life and believed at that moment he would kill her, reports Breaking News.
She said she felt “powerless and terrified” and that it was fortunate her colleagues heard her screams.
She added that she was left in a “total state of shock” afterwards and that her life has changed significantly since, reports Breaking News.
Crowley, of Summerhill Terrace, Dalkey Avenue, Dalkey, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and stalking relating to the incident in August 2024 and has no previous convictions.
On Tuesday, Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to three years in prison, with the final year suspended under certain conditions, reports Breaking News.
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These conditions include having no contact with the injured party for 10 years, continuing psychiatric treatment, and remaining under Probation Service supervision for one year after release.
Judge Crowe noted that although the incident lasted less than 30 seconds, its duration was not “the determining factor”, reports Breaking News.
“The injured party did not know what the outcome was going to be when she was being attacked,” she said, reports Breaking News.
The judge stated that, without the mental health factors, she would have imposed a headline sentence of six years, but said the offending was “diminished by his mental health difficulties at the time”.
She also noted Crowley’s young age and his efforts toward rehabilitation, and accepted his “unreserved apology” as “genuine and sincere”, reports Breaking News.
An investigating garda had earlier told prosecuting counsel John Gallagher that, months before the incident, Crowley had begun regularly visiting the woman’s workplace and on one occasion brought her flowers, saying he liked her.
The woman made it clear she was not interested in a relationship, and later told gardaí that his behaviour seemed unusual, reports Breaking News.
The court heard she did not see Crowley again for several months.
On the night in question, she had planned to meet colleagues after work but left early to meet a friend, reports Breaking News.
While walking, she noticed a person with their hood up moving oddly and taking small steps.
She passed quickly, but after moving ahead slightly, she heard movement, turned, and realised it was Crowley, reports Breaking News.
He lunged at her, grabbed her from behind in a bear hug, and pinned her arms to her sides.
She screamed for help and used her elbows to push him away, managing to break free, reports Breaking News.
However, after only a few steps, he grabbed her again, placing his arm around her and covering her mouth.
CCTV footage of the incident, which lasted around 30 seconds, was shown to the court, reports Breaking News.
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