‘Misread the signs’: Tradesman exposed himself to woman in south Dublin home
Tom Tuite
A tradesman who exposed himself to a woman during renovations in her south Dublin home, claiming he “misread the signs”, has paid €1,500 compensation.
Judge Treasa Kelly noted on Monday that Sabanija Mustafic (56) had brought the money to court, and she deferred sentencing.
However, she ordered him to remain under Probation Service supervision and comply with their directions for the next six months.
She also sought an updated pre-sentence probation report for finalising the case in May 2027.
Dublin District Court heard earlier that the Bosnian construction worker, living in Ireland for 18 years with no prior convictions, "exposed his penis to her" when she was in the sitting room.
The complainant was shocked and unable to leave the room for a while, but eventually found the courage to get out.
As she passed him in the hall, Mustafic, of Carrig Court, Fortunestown Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin, was still exposed.
Defence counsel Paddy Flynn had confirmed there was a guilty plea by Mustafic to the charge of exposing himself and causing fear and alarm.
Asking for leniency, the defence barrister said Mustafic suffered from PTSD and anxiety.
They were a result of his military experiences as a Bosnian Muslim in the civil war during the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, which claimed the lives of 10 of his family members.
Counsel said on the date of the incident, last June, his client was with a crew doing work on the woman's house and "for whatever reason got it into his head that there was some form of chemistry or some invitation".
Counsel described it as a woeful excuse and beyond senselessness in how he interacted and tried “to set the scene” for relations with the woman.
In mitigation, the court heard that he left the property following a confrontation with the woman's mother, which was "an ordeal in of itself".
Flynn said the accused now categorically understands his wrongdoing in how he interacted with the lady and was embarrassed.
The defence barrister asked the judge to note his client made admissions to gardaí and that Mustafic was pro-social and of good behaviour until this incident.
The victim had paid a €1,000 deposit for work that was halted following her complaint to gardaí.
Judge Kelly agreed it must have been shocking for the injured party, but noted the accused had taken responsibility for his actions and entered a guilty plea, which spared the complainant the need to give evidence at trial.
The offence under section 45 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 is punishable at the District Court level with a maximum term of six months' imprisonment.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
