KEVIN O’DRISCOLL FROM LEYSDOWN-ON-SEA SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND STALKING IN MAIDSTONE

In May 2019, a man from Leysdown-on-Sea was handed a significant prison sentence after admitting to serious criminal conduct involving stalking and sexual assault. Kevin O’Driscoll, aged 49 and residing on Grove Avenue in Leysdown-on-Sea, was brought before Maidstone Crown Court where he received an eight-year prison term on Friday, 24 May 2019. The court also imposed an additional two years on an extended license period, which will follow the completion of his custodial sentence, ensuring continued supervision and restrictions.

O’Driscoll had previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including one count of stalking with the intent to cause the victim serious alarm or distress, a sexual assault charge, and a count of trespass with the intent to commit a sexual offence. The court heard detailed accounts of his disturbing behavior, which spanned over a period of time and involved relentless harassment of the woman.

According to the judge, O’Driscoll’s actions constituted a sustained and obsessive campaign against his victim. His conduct included persistent phone calls, knocking on her front door repeatedly, and shouting out to her in a manner that caused her significant distress. The offender also sent her various gifts, professed his love for her, and displayed signs of jealousy whenever she received visitors at her residence.

The situation escalated dramatically on the evening of 28 May 2018. On that night, O’Driscoll unlawfully entered the victim’s home without her permission. Witnesses saw him inside the property, and during the incident, he attempted to silence her screams by covering her mouth with his hands. It was revealed that he was wearing latex gloves at the time, and he proceeded to sexually assault her during this unlawful intrusion.

The victim managed to escape from O’Driscoll and told him to leave her property immediately. She subsequently reported the assault to Kent Police, which led to his arrest the following morning. The case highlights the severity of his actions and the impact on the victim, emphasizing the importance of law enforcement’s response to such disturbing crimes.