Dundalk court: Assault at massage parlour
A client in a massage parlour in Ardee ran out of the premises naked, after a local man began smashing up the reception area, before he forced a worker from the premises outside and threatened members of the public who responded to her cries for help, Dundalk Circuit Court heard last week.
Cian Woods (28) with an address at Bigstown, Ardee pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman causing her harm, causing criminal damage to the premises and production of a sharply pointed object, at Bridge Street, Ardee on St. Stephen’s Day 2021.
The court heard last Wednesday how the victim of the assault told gardai she had been on her own in the shop around 5pm, when the defendant arrived and asked for a facial massage.
He came back around 7pm and asked for a second massage.
A second customer arrived and she escorted that man to a room at the back.
She told gardai she heard smashing and went out to investigate and Cian Woods was behaving erratically and pulled a knife from the back of his trousers and broke into the back room.
The woman ran from the premises screaming, but he chased her and lifted her from behind, at which point a female pedestrian and another passerby tried to stop him and he wielded a knife and told them “Do you want a piece of this”.
The court was told the defendant fell along with the woman, who managed to escape and hide until gardaí arrived.
Cian Woods, who had 35 previous convictions, has been in custody since January last year, and failed to get High Court bail to attend his father’s funeral.
His barrister said the 28 year old DkIT graduate, had a difficulty with authority, was impulsive and a little unpredictable at times.
He stressed that his client did not strike the woman or use the knife on the other injured party and explained that he was requesting his money back as he "didn’t get the service he’d paid for".
Judge Dara Hayes remanded him in custody to April 25th for an updated Probation report.