A Moldovan-Romanian man who subjected a woman to a violent sexual assault in a Cork park had travelled to Ireland just 18 days after being released from a prison sentence for the rape of a 14-year old girl.
Vadim Veste (28), who the court heard is a Moldovan-Romanian national, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a woman in her 50s in a park in Fermoy on November 7, 2021.
Veste had been released from prison on December 11, 2020 after serving a three year sentence for the rape of a minor and just 18 days later travelled to Ireland, Independent.ie reported. He also has criminal convictions for drug use and and breaking and entering.
He approached the woman in St Colman’s Park in Fermoy, Co Cork from behind while she was walking her dog, and attacked her, punching her and violently throwing her to the ground before placing his hand under clothes.
The woman fought back against her attacker and her screams were heard by two men out walking in the park who ran to her aid and prevented further attack.
The court heard that Veste did not run away but walked calmly out of the park. He at first denied the attack, claiming it was an incident in relation to the woman’s dog, but he then pleaded guilty to the assault, appearing in court with the assistance of an interpreter.
In her victim impact statement, the woman told the court that she thought she was going to die.
She was out walking her dog while listening to music on her headphones when suddenly she was attacked from behind by Veste.
He put his hand over her mouth and wrestled her to the ground. “I screamed, I begged and I pleaded with him to stop,” the woman said.
The woman said she fought for her life on a dark night where she was being forcibly held down by a man who attacked her.
“I could not breathe,” she said. “I actually thought I was going to die. All I could do was keep thinking about my daughter.”
She said she was afraid she would suffocate after Veste forced his woolen hat into the woman’s mouth.
She managed to get one hand free and scratched his face, and then screamed loudly for help.
“He clenched his fist and put it into my mouth,” she said. “He tried to loosen my teeth. With all my strength I fought back.”
“I didn’t want to die. I was thinking about my little girl having to come to the pitch to identify my body.”
“But he (Veste) keep squeezing my mouth and my nose. I couldn’t breathe.”
“Thank God I survived to be here today. He is a very, very dangerous man. I do believe he would have gone on to kill someone.”
She said that she has now lost all confidence and is afraid of going out alone on dark evenings. She praised the gardaí for the handling of the investigation.
The court heard that Veste, with an address in Clancy Street in Fermoy had been working in a meat processing plant after arriving in Ireland. Judge Paul McDermott ordered a probation report and adjourned the case until 12 June for sentencing.
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