'Possessed' naked thug tried to rape woman in Leeds flat and attacked her boyfriend
A drug-crazed, naked thug was “tripping in and out of different realities” when he burst into a flat an attacked a man, then tried to rape the man’s girlfriend.
The couple were left so traumatised by the terrifying ordeal caused by Francis O’Halloran that they refused to let the arriving police into their home, dropping the keys from the window instead.
O’Halloran was detained on a hospital order after Leeds Crown Court was told he had schizophrenia.
The couple had been asleep in their flat in Leeds at around 5am on March 1 when they were awoken by banging on their door.
O’Halloran let himself into the flat and when the couple jumped out of bed, they found him lying in the corridor floor, completely naked and singing sexually explicit songs.
The woman grabbed a blanket to put over O’Halloran and comfort him, but he made advances, lunging at her.
The male resident then intervened but O’Halloran began to attack him, punching him repeatedly.
O’Halloran then chased the woman to the bedroom, grabbing her by the hair and demanding she give him oral sex “right here, right now”.
She was able to break free as her boyfriend tried to raise the alarm with neighbours.
The woman also dialled 999 begging for help, before O’Halloran became distracted and ran out of the flat.
The woman remained locked in the bathroom even when the police arrived. They arrested O’Halloran who they described as “agitated”.
He later confessed to a nurse that he had taken cannabis, had become “paranoid and delusional” and regretted what he had done.
He told the nurse he had been “tripping in and out of different realities”.
O’Halloran, who is from the Hunslet area, appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was on remand.
He admitted attempted rape, sexual assault, ABH and common assault. He has only one previous conviction.
Mitigating, Susannah Proctor said that through her, O’Halloran “apologised unreservedly” for his actions and said he was “utterly disgusted”, although he had only a “limited recollection” of the events.
She added: “He described his actions as evil. He is hugely remorseful. These were nice people who were trying to help him.”
She described his mental health history as “dreadful” and said he has been sectioned several times.
Judge Andrew Stubbs KC pointed to O’Halloran’s reluctance to take his medication for his schizophrenia because of the side effects.
He said that O’Halloran thought he was “possessed” after taking cannabis.
He gave him 64 months’ jail, but rather than send him to prison immediately, he will be admitted to Newton Lodge secure hospital for treatment.
If or when he is deemed well enough, he will be transferred to prison to finish the remainder of his sentence.