CURTAIN CALL 

Irish panto star caught sexually assaulting sleeping man at house party after victim’s girlfriend walked in on sick act

• Published: 7:00, 2 Feb 2023

A PANTO star has been jailed for sexually assaulting a sleeping man at a house party.

Predator Dan Horan pounced on his victim after he passed out on a bed, pulled down his victim’s jeans and underwear and rubbed his penis.

Around a dozen people had been at the house party in Naas, Co Kildare, in July 2020, including the victim and his girlfriend.

Horan and his victim, who was then aged 26, were among the last people still awake at the bash before the victim passed out on a bed in the property.

As the victim slept, the fiend took off the man’s clothes and proceeded to rub his penis.

But Horan was rumbled when the victim’s girlfriend woke in another room and went looking for her boyfriend at about 6am.

Naas Circuit Court heard the woman was stunned when she walked into a room where the sexual assault was taking place.

Judge Mary O’Malley Costello sentenced Horan to three years in prison.

The pervert — who has starred in a number of pantomimes and is a marketing manager — has also had to pay €15,000 compensation to his victim, who the court heard had been left “living in a nightmare” after the sex attack.

“Quite apart from the nature of the offence itself, it seems to me that it is indeed aggravated by the fact that the accused took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability on the night in question.

“The victim was clearly unable to consent to the acts perpetrated on him as he was blacked out. The victim thought he was in a safe environment.”

Reviewing evidence from the victim’s girlfriend, Judge Costello said: “At about 6am she woke and noticed her partner was not beside her, so she went to check on him.

“She went into a room and when she opened the door, she saw the victim was half-naked and his eyes were closed.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

“The accused was holding the victim’s penis in his hand, the victim was not awake at this time.

“The accused was kneeling beside the victim but he (Horan) was fully clothed. When the victim’s partner entered the room, she said the accused ran out.”

After Horan legged it from the room, the victim’s upset girlfriend shook her partner to wake him up and gave him his clothes.

Naas Circuit Court was told the victim became “understandably angry” when he realised what had happened and later went to gardai to report the sex attack.

The court heard the victim’s clothes were forensically examined and Horan’s DNA was found in saliva in his underwear.

Horan was arrested but denied carrying out the sexual assault for two years.

‘LIVING A NIGHTMARE’

The panto performer only admitted his guilt on the day his trial was due to get under way last year.

The panto star, who the court heard has struggled to accept his homosexuality, has also been put on the Sex Offender’s Register.

In a victim impact statement, the victim told the court that he was left “living in a nightmare and lost the joy for life” after the sex assault.

He also blasted his attacker for waiting two years to admit his guilt.

 

Caging Horan, Judge O’Malley Costello said: “This is a serious crime. The offence is a serious offence.