Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Ryanair Crew Member

A man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a Ryanair cabin crew member during a flight to Dublin Airport, with court proceedings revealing the incident occurred approximately 40 minutes before landing.

The victim, who worked as cabin crew on the flight, described the assault as taking place in a tight and confined space while colleagues were present, stating her sense of safety and peace had been “completely shattered.”

In her victim impact statement, she said: “I was only doing my job when this happened,” adding that she has since resigned from her position and feels there is “a layer of shame over me” and that she “still feels disgusting.”

She described the road to recovery as feeling “long and unreachable,” noting that life had not been kind to her and that the assault added an “extra heavy load,” though she is taking each day one at a time.

The defendant, Aaron Brady, aged 31, of Main Street, Killeshandra, Co Cavan, pleaded guilty to the charge. The court heard he has no memory of the incident and has a problem with alcohol, which he is addressing.

Brady stated he drank around five bottles of wine with his partner at the airport before boarding the flight and potentially consumed between 12 and 15 mini bottles of alcohol during the flight. He said he has not had a drink in a year.

Taking the stand, Brady expressed deep remorse, saying he was “really, really sorry, sincerely” and described his actions as “out of character,” adding: “I can’t believe it, I’m so sorry for the trauma it has caused you. It’s not me at all.”

The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, 16 April 2026.