Overview
- Patrick Noone, 58, pleaded guilty at Ennis Circuit Court to two counts of sexual assault under Section 2 for incidents on a Boston-bound flight on 15 November 2023.
- He admitted rubbing and grabbing the teenager’s buttocks, kissing her arm, and rubbing her thigh during the flight.
- Cabin crew alerted the captain, who diverted the aircraft back to Shannon Airport, a move Gardaí said cost Aer Lingus €28,213.
- Judge Francis Comerford ordered a probation report and directed Gardaí to obtain a victim impact statement, with sentencing to follow.
- The complainant is now 18 and studying in the US, and the court had approved video-link testimony from four US-based witnesses while finding no basis for reporting restrictions on the accused.