Courts / Dublin / Report
Take-away delivery driver avoids jail for sexually assaulting student
Summary
Arslan Cheema, 29, received an 18‑month suspended prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 19‑year‑old student outside her accommodation in Dublin in April 2021. The victim, who had been on first‑name terms with Cheema and had ordered takeaways from him, described the assault as a profound violation of trust that left her emotionally devastated, requiring hospital treatment and medication. Cheema pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault. Judge Orla Crowe imposed the suspended sentence on strict conditions for three years, noting the breach of trust and the victim's impact statement. Cheema will be listed on the sex offenders' register and warned that any negative Garda attention during the period could lead to a different view. He has no prior convictions and had lost his Bus Eireann job following the case's publicity.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Take-away delivery driver avoids jail for sexually assaulting student. Charges or matters: one count of sexual assault carried out in a car outside student accommodation in the city centre in April 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- April 2021 Incident
- 2024-11-04 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of sexual assault carried out in a car outside student accommodation in the city centre in April 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Having considered the mitigation, she imposed an 18-month sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions for a period of three years. Judge Crowe said the suspended sentence would "hang over" Cheema "in terms of his behaviour" and warned that if he comes to negative garda attention during this period, the court "may take a different view".
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