Man awaits sentence for groping two women in pub

Nourden Belarbi (31) pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the women in north Dublin

Nourden Belarbi (31), with an address at Grace Park Gardens, Drumcondra, Dublin and at Richmond Street, Longford Town, pleaded guilty to assaulting two women in a pub in October 2018. Photograph: Collins Courts
Nourden Belarbi (31), with an address at Grace Park Gardens, Drumcondra, Dublin and at Richmond Street, Longford Town, pleaded guilty to assaulting two women in a pub in October 2018. Photograph: Collins Courts

A man was arrested after he was confronted by two women he sexually assaulted in a busy Dublin pub, a court has heard.

Nourden Belarbi (31) with addresses at Grace Park Gardens, Drumcondra, Dublin and at Richmond Street in Longford Town, was remanded on bail pending a sentence.

He was confronted after one victim approached the second woman to say she too had been assaulted by him.

Victim impact statements were requested by Judge Flann Brennan after the accused pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the two women in a popular pub in the city's northside on October 14th last year.

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Dublin District Court heard the first woman, who was in her early forties, was approached by Belarbi who "proceeded to grab her by her breast".

"The injured party chased the defendant away," Garda Sergeant Paul Keane told Judge Brennan.

“Slightly intoxicated” Belarbi went to another section of the pub and approached his next victim, aged 21, the court heard.

He then grabbed her bottom and, “she became upset and threw her drink over him”.

Judge Brennan heard the first woman then approached her and “and said it happened to her too, she too had been assaulted.”

The court heard a member of security had also witnessed the first incident.

Bar staff were informed and gardaí were called to arrest Belarbi who did not address the court.

CCTV cameras captured the incident but the footage was not shown during the hearing.

The women had been drinking but were not intoxicated, the court heard.

Belarbi was not known to either of them, the court was told.

Judge Brennan accepted jurisdiction for the case to remain in the district court and noted from defence solicitor Coleen Gildernew that Berlabi wanted to plead guilty.

He adjourned the case for victim impact statements to be prepared.

Belarbi was remanded on continuing bail.

The terms were changed because he now lived and worked in Longford where he must sign on at his local Garda station three times a week.

He had previously signed on at Mountjoy station in Dublin and that was causing him difficulty, his solicitor said.

The case resumes in December.