SHANE BYRNES FROM LIMERICK JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN HOTEL GYM CHANGE ROOM

In May 2016, a man from Limerick, Shane Byrnes, was sentenced to prison following a disturbing incident of sexual assault that took place within the confines of a hotel gym in Castletroy. Byrnes, who was 26 years old at the time and residing at 34 Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston, had aspirations of becoming a professional boxer but his actions have cast a dark shadow over his future.

The incident occurred on April 18, 2014, at the leisure centre of the Castletroy Park Hotel. According to court proceedings, Byrnes entered the gym that day and targeted a woman who was in the process of changing into her swimsuit. The victim was in the midst of putting on the lower part of her swimwear when she heard the sound of water being flushed in a nearby toilet cubicle. Moments later, a man emerged from the cubicle carrying a duffle bag, which caused the woman to become alarmed.

At that point, her swimsuit top was not fully on, and she instinctively covered herself with her hand. The man, later identified as Shane Byrnes, apologized, claiming, “sorry I thought I was in the lads changing room.” The woman responded curtly, telling him to leave her alone with a simple, “grand, just get out.”

However, Byrnes did not immediately comply. Instead, he moved closer to her, and his bag brushed against her leg. He then placed his hand on her shoulder and seized her hand that was covering her chest. Making inappropriate remarks about her breasts, he said, “very nice, let me see them and let me touch them.” During this assault, the victim still had her swimsuit top partially on, but Byrnes grabbed her breast. The woman managed to elbow him in self-defense and shouted at him to get away. Byrnes then paused, stared at her, and eventually left the scene.

Following the incident, hotel management was alerted, and police officers, known as Gardaí, arrived to investigate. During questioning, Byrnes admitted that he was sexually aroused upon seeing the woman either naked or topless and that he had asked her to show him her breasts.

In court, Judge Tom O’Donnell sentenced Byrnes to 18 months in prison. The judge emphasized that this was Byrnes’ second known sexual assault in a hotel gym setting. A probation report presented to the court indicated that Byrnes was at a high risk of reoffending and a moderate risk of committing another sexual assault within the next 12 months. The report also revealed that Byrnes had failed to complete a course designed to address his sexual offending behavior. The judge noted that even full participation in such a course might not guarantee the cessation of his problematic conduct.

Furthermore, Judge O’Donnell ordered that Byrnes’ name be entered into the sex offenders register for a period of 10 years, underscoring the seriousness of his actions and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.