A serial sex offender has been jailed for six years which he is to serve consecutive to a current six-year rape sentence after he was described by Judge Frank O'Donnell as a "walking menace to every female out there" .
Derek Caffrey (40), Edenmore Gardens, Raheny, received the new six-year term at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday for sexually assaulting a young Japanese woman on February 12th, 2006 in the female toilet at Barry's Hotel, Great Denmark Street, near the city centre.
Caffrey, described by gardaí as "a danger to women", is already serving a six-year prison term imposed by the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman near his home on November 1st, 2002, after telling her his mother would like to meet her because "you are well-spoken and a snob".
Judge O'Donnell noted Caffrey has three further previous convictions for sex offences and said he had left a trail of victims.
"The female population of the country have to be protected from him," he said.
He directed that Caffrey start the six-year sentence for assaulting the Japanese woman at the end of his current six-year sentence. He also directed that he undergo post-release supervision for four years following his release and recommended that he receive whatever treatment was necessary while in prison.
Det Garda Pat Keegan told Cathleen Noctor BL, prosecuting, that Caffrey was a "habitual sex offender" and had asked to join the Japanese woman and her boyfriend who were drinking in the hotel bar, telling them he was a security man.
The victim went to the ladies toilet and while in a cubicle heard someone call out: "Are you ok? Are you ok?" When she opened the cubicle door, Caffrey was there. She tried move past him and he approached her, held her hands and rubbed her waist and breasts while she cried out "no, no, no".
Caffrey attempted to pull down his trousers but the victim managed to get out to the corridor where her screams attracted hotel staff.
A female staff member told gardaí she heard screaming from the basement and then heard a man's voice saying "calm down, relax". A doorman stopped Caffrey leaving before gardaí arrived.
Caffrey told gardaí he "did nothing wrong" and "didn't go near the girl". He claimed she had fallen down and he was helping her up.
Det Garda Keegan said much of the interview consisted of Caffrey "rambling" and commented: "It was unsettling for those who had to listen to it." He agreed with Michael Bowman BL, defending, that Caffrey had "psychiatric difficulties with a history of committal in the UK and Ireland". He also agreed that although the victim had been extremely distressed at the time she was "a robust young lady".
Mr Bowman said Caffrey had sporadic employment over 20 years as a kitchen porter and had also spent time in the merchant navy during which he claims he was raped at least nine times by shipmates.
Mr Bowman said Caffrey suffered from a combination of schizophrenia and a psychotic mood disorder.