Former professional footballer and taxi driver jailed for sexual assault

By Eimear Dodd

A former professional footballer and taxi driver has been jailed for two and a half years for the sexual assault of a college student at Bull Island.

Micheal Keane (42) of Blackhorse Grove, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to sexual assault in November 2023.

Defence counsel Keith Spencer BL told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday that Keane played football at a high level for the British club Preston North End before returning to Ireland in 2015.

The victim had been socialising with friends and had taken some drinks. She decided to get a taxi from Dublin City Centre and was picked up by Keane.

At some point during the journey, she realised the taxi had significantly detoured and was stopping at Bull Island, where Keane sexually assaulted her.

After the incident, he dropped her home and asked her to pay a fare of €77.77, which she did to get away from him.

Keane initially denied the allegation when interviewed by gardai, claiming the taxi detoured to Bull Island because the woman was looking for a party, but later pleaded guilty.

In an impact statement, the victim said, “like any other young woman I trusted getting a taxi home would be the safest option”, adding that events that night “proved how wrong I was”.

She said she still remembered the way her stomach dropped when she realised the taxi was stopping at Bull Island and “fear rolled over me when I realised, I was in the middle of nowhere” and trapped.

She said she felt “absolutely terrified”, powerless and didn’t know what would happen next. She described feeling “completely at this man’s mercy in this isolated place”.

She said no one should face that sense of fear or have their trust broken in that way, adding that it is “disgusting how a woman can be in a vulnerable position and the first thought of this man, and others can be to take advantage”.

Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said it was aggravating that Keane was working as a taxi man and the victim was in a vulnerable position.

“People who use taxis are entitled to trust taxi drivers, thankfully most very trustworthy,” the judge said.

He noted that the woman was in a vulnerable position and had taken some drink.

“That’s no criticism of her; people are entitled to be happy and to have a good night out,” the judge said, commending the woman for striking Keane.

He said that Keane drove the taxi to Bull Island and that the incident would have been “very frightening” for the woman.

Judge Nolan said he had considered the mitigation and Keane’s personal circumstances, but the defence’s submission that Keane should be allowed to remain in the community was “unrealistic”.

“I consider it a serious matter,” the judge said, adding that Keane had to endure a prison term for his “bad misbehaviour” in taking advantage of the victim.

The investigating garda told Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, that the then 20-year-old victim was in college and had been socialising in Dublin City Centre.

She had been drinking but was still aware of events taking place that night.

She decided to go home after losing her friends and hailed a taxi, which was being driven by Keane.

The taxi drove off, and there was some friendly chat between Keane and the woman.

She was on her phone, and at some point became aware that the car had arrived at Bull Island – some considerable distance from her home.

Keane stopped the taxi and got into the back, beside the woman.

He didn’t say anything and she asked him “What are you at?”

He then proceeded to sexually assault her by placing his hand up her skirt and touching her vagina outside of her underwear.

The woman jumped forward and tried to open the car door but couldn’t. Keane’s hand was still on her leg, and she struck him on the face.

Keane said nothing but pulled away after she hit him, then moved in towards her.

The woman told him to ‘f off’ and that she wanted to go home. He then got out of the back of the car and took her home.

The woman told gardai she initially believed the door was locked when she tried to get out, but later thought he hadn’t locked the car.

She was afraid and in shock and texted friends during the drive to her home.

A friend was waiting for her when she got back and took a photo of the taxi and Keane.

The woman immediately made a complaint to gardai, who took a photo of her hand, which had a bruise-like mark on the knuckle where she had struck Keane.

Keane was identified as the taxi driver and arrested by arrangement in February 2024.

He provided a prepared statement but otherwise exercised his right to silence during the interview.

In the prepared statement, Keane denied the allegation of sexual assault and claimed the detour to Bull Island was because the woman asked him to drive around looking for a party

Keane has two previous convictions from the UK for theft and assault causing actual bodily harm, which date back to 2007.

The court heard that after being charged, he lost his taxi licence and will not get it back because of his conviction.

In a victim impact statement read onto the record by Ms Collard, the woman said the fear of that night has lingered and that she struggles with trust issues and flashbacks.

She said she feels anxious using taxis, and the “once routine act of travelling alone” has become more complex.

The woman said, “This was not just one night,” and it has affected her confidence, relationships, and “ability to live life without fear.”

She said her studies were also disrupted.

The woman said she “no longer feels safe walking alone at night even in familiar places,” and her sense of safety is gone.

The investigating garda agreed with the defence counsel that while his client denied the allegation in a prepared statement when interviewed, Keane did enter an early guilty plea.

It was also accepted that Keane has no previous convictions in this jurisdiction.

Keane had been a taxi driver for six years at the time of his offending. Mr Spencer noted that “one consequence” of his client’s behaviour was the loss of his job. Keane is on social welfare and has been struggling to make ends meet.

Mr Spencer noted that his client had written a “heartfelt” letter of apology to the woman, which expresses “shame and disgust at himself” for his actions and a willingness to apologise in person, with an awareness this may not be acceptable.

He said Keane appreciates the harm he has caused to the victim and hopes she will be able to overcome this in the years to come.

Counsel said the “enormous breach of trust” in this case is aggravating but suggested this was a short-lived and towards the lower end of the scale for offending of this kind.

He said this was “completely out of character” for Keane, who can’t explain his actions, and “this behaviour seems almost bizarre in the context of people who know him and how they see him”.

Several testimonials were handed to the court on behalf of Keane including from family members, individuals associated with Preston North End and others which outlined his involvement in charitable and voluntary activities.

Mr Spencer submitted to the court that the testimonials “underscore this was out of character” and demonstrate a “well of support and outpouring of emotion” towards Keane, which he acknowledged must be set against the trauma experienced by the victim.

Keane has two children and is a “family man” on whom “a lot of people depend”, counsel said.

He asked the court to take into account his client’s guilty plea, apology and to consider this a “once-off” incident.

Mr Spencer urged the court not to impose an immediate custodial sentence on this client.