A Galway woman who was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver in Galway city who she had trusted to bring her home safely feared that she would be killed saying from that moment on her “life changed forever”.
Chloe Hornibrook, 31, has bravely told her story to Galway Beo after former taxi driver Francis Oseghale was sentenced on Tuesday 23 May at a sitting of the Galway Circuit Court to 18 months in prison with a further 18 months under probation for the disgusting act – sexually assaulting the drunk young woman while she slept.
The mother of-two has waived her right to anonymity to make women and girls aware of the dangers posed on a night out and warn about her attacker Francis Oseghale of Cartur Mor, Knocknacarra.
Read More: Galway gardai investigate ‘serious crime’ as victim broken hearted over incident
The Galway native who was living in Galway city at the time of the attack told this publication that she left her Gleann Dara home for a night out for a friend’s birthday in July 2018 – the night when her life would change forever.
Chloe explains: “I was living in Galway at the time and it was my friend’s birthday. We were out, we were drinking.”
She says that she was “tipsy drunk” having enjoyed the night out with her friends and that she got into a taxi at around 3.30am on Sunday morning 15 July 2018 at the rank on Bridge Street.
Chloe says: “I remember speaking to a woman hanging around the rank and it turned out we were going in the same direction, so we said why don’t we share the taxi. I got into the taxi and leaned my arm on the window and just conked, fell asleep instantly.”
Chloe tells us that the next thing she remembers is evil Francis Oseghale, the driver of the taxi, on top of her in the back of the stopped cab. The other woman had been dropped already when Chloe was subjected to the assault.
She says: “I woke up and he [the taxi driver] was on top of me in the back of the taxi. He dropped the other girl off first and I was asleep in the back of the taxi. When I woke up, he was on top of me, the playsuit I was wearing was pulled to one side, the top of my playsuit was pulled down so that my breasts were exposed. It was instant fear – I was so afraid I started to cry and I did try to hold back those tears but I couldn’t. I wasn’t able to move – all I could do was cry at that moment.”
Chloe, 26 years old at the time, says that she believes that Oseghale saw her tears or heard her breathing change before he got off of her. She tells Galway Beo “I can’t say for sure but for whatever reason, he stopped what he was doing and got off of me and back into the driver’s seat in the front of the cab.”
Chloe felt that Oseghale knew she was awake for sure and as he drove with Chloe still in the back of the cab after the assault, she could not shake off the fear.
“Is he going to drop me off at home?? Is he going to drop me off somewhere else?? Or is he going to kill me?? I stayed locked in the same position for the rest of the drive back to house. I was that scared, I couldn’t move.”
Chloe is still not sure exactly where the assault took place but tells us that she spent over an hour in the cab despite the journey from Bridge Street to Rahoon usually only taking around 10 minutes by car.
“When we arrived at my house, he said my address but I was still frozen. He said it again and this time I jumped up, fixed myself, grabbed my bag. I rememebered shaking while putting my key in the door. I was almost waiting for him to get out of the taxi and come after me.
“I fell to the floor when I got in the door. I was so upset. I was distraught. I called my sisters, they live just down the road. They came over to me and then they called the guards.”
Chloe was told to go to the nearby University College Hospital and members of An Garda Síochána met her there: “They knew that I was distraught but had my wits about me, the fear and the upset had completely sobered me up.”
Chloe praises the two Gardai who handled her case, Gdas Michelle Fahy and Colum Harlow as “amazing in their support” throughout, even after the sentencing.
The gardaí took Chloe to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre when she was examined and evidence was gathered. Chloe describes the fear of being administered post-exposure prophylaxis in case there was risk of infection as the nature of the assault was not known at that time.
Chloe still isn’t certain exactly what Francis Oseghale did to her while she slept in the back of his cab but told Gardaí that she remembered the man touching her breast.
Read more: Galway traffic ‘backed up all directions’ after car goes on fire ‘with mum and child inside’
Chloe was “swabbed for DNA all over” and DNA from the man was subsequently found on Chloe’s breast helping gardaí piece together the assault and prove Oseghale was the taxi driver who had sexually assaulted her as she slept in the back of his cab.
“I am lucky I am a light sleeper. I may never know exactly what he [Francis Oseghale] did to me before I woke up, I still fear for what could have happened if I didn’t wake up.”
Chloe tells us that gardaí found Oseghale via CCTV in the area “within a week” with the woman who got into the taxi that morning coming forward “straight away” to aid the investigation. Chloe says this was vital: “She was able to confirm that there was no way I could have given consent.”
Chloe also tells us that Oseghale had initially pleaded not guilty to the assault but changed his plea to guilty before his November 2022 trial date.
“I was petrified of having to get up in front of the court and having to relive it all again until he changed his plea at the last minute.”
Chloe describes the long road after the incident: “I had to go to counselling. I have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – I was prescribed anti-depressants but elected not to take them.
“I had such an immense feeling of paranoia – I was living alone with my son at the time. One time I saw a taxi parked outside my house for ten minutes or so and I actually rang my liason officer in a panic, thinking it was him [Oseghale] outside.
“I ended up moving to Kildare, leaving Galway altogether to escape that feeling. It was so bad that I couldn’t take that feeling any longer and moved to Newbridge.”
She continued bravely opening up saying: “It’s been five years now and I am an awful lot stronger these days but that was a very, very dark time. What gave me the strength to follow through with the case was the thought of this happening again to some other woman, some other girl. I imagined the feeling of overwhelming guilt that would have come if I had done nothing then and then read about this happening to anyone else.”
Read More: Major Galway road closure announced as two-week diversion plan outlined
Chloe also describes to Galway Beo the immense sense of guilt that came with the assault: “Did I give the come on? Did I do this? Is this my fault for drinking so much?
“That was my train of thought for months. My family were so supportive during that time and the counselling was a huge help in affirming – ‘No, this in not your fault’. ‘You are allowed to drink and enjoy yourself’. ‘His job was take you home safely, not hop in the back and do something like this.'”
Mum Chloe tells Galway Beo that still experiences intense fear and paranoia in taxis and will not travel alone in one, night or day. She describes how the assault left her “hating her body” and for a long time, she would cry in the shower.
Chloe says: “I still can’t go out and enjoy myself fully. I can’t let myself go. At the back of my mind all the time is that I will have to get a taxi home later.”
She was unable to attend the sentencing of Francis Oseghale in Galway in 23 May 2023 due to illness after giving birth to her second child.
She says that the 18 months prison sentence with 18 months under probation is “just not enough”. The defence had offered during the sentencing that Oseghale had “lost his family” over the case and had himself required counselling.
Read more: Family member of influencer spends 27 hours in hospital corridor
The garda in charge of her case read the heartbreaking letter where she said she hoped that telling her story would “prevent some other girl or woman from been put in the position I am in.”
The victim impact statement read aloud before the court at the 23 May 2023 sentencing continues: “That day, 15 July my life changed forever and it will never be the same again. I will never forget the fear I felt waking up to a stranger laying on top of me with my body partially exposed. My first instinct was to pretend I was still asleep for fear if he knew I was waking, what would have happened. It was truly the most terrifying ordeal I have ever gone through.”
“However, today is not about what happened that night, this is about how it has impacted my life and that it has.
“I was diagnosed with PTSD shortly after the assault. I was having panic attacks quiet regularly, which never happened to me before and I was prescribed Anti-Depression medication. I decided to go to counselling to help deal with what had happened. I became very paranoid thinking he was watching me and stalking my house as he knew where I lived. It was just me and my 4 year old son at the time so the fear was overwhelming. I needed to get out of that house where he couldn’t find me, but I struggled to find anywhere suitable at the time. So I uprooted my life and son and moved to Kildare to be next to my older sister. In my mind this guaranteed our safety and helped to ease my paranoia.
“I still to this day get uncomfortable in a taxi and I will never get in one alone. I cannot remember the last time I truly let myself go and have a bit of fun on a night out; subconsciously I believe this is because we have to get a taxi home and the fear creeps in again. Every night ends the same, us sitting in a taxi and everyone slightly quiet as they’re all thinking ‘how’s Chloe’s head now’. I don’t even think they realise they’re doing it but it’s very clear to see and I can feel the awkwardness.
“What has affected me the most is the not knowing all that he done to me that night, I’m still in the dark about exactly what happened. I know he couldn’t keep his hands to himself, besides my breasts, what else did he do to me? What else did he see or touch without my knowledge or consent? I’m a very self-conscious girl and I would cry in the shower looking at my body with these thoughts. I felt absolutely disgusting in my own skin, I felt no amount of water could wash away his hands.
“I stupidly blamed myself for awhile thinking ‘ oh I shouldn’t have gone out, I shouldn’t of had so much to drink, I shouldn’t have fallen asleep’. But thankfully, with the help of counselling and support from my loved ones my attitude changed. I was not to blame, I was not in the wrong! Anyone should have the right to enjoy a night out, fall asleep In the back of a taxi and be driven safely home, not molested!
“I cannot put into words just how truly broken I have been since but each day I get a little stronger for me and my family. I am honestly so proud of myself for staying mentally strong these past five years to get to this point. I’ve done this for me and for any girls and women out there who may not have had the chance to try get some justice for what happened to them.
“I’ve just had a beautiful baby girl and it scares me to think these types of assaults are happening all the time, and for the majority of cases with no consequences to the attacker, only the victims. If today’s outcome can prevent this from happening to even one more girl or woman I feel I, we’ve, achieved something.
“I wish I could be there today to look that man straight in the eyes while reading this out but unfortunately due to complications from pregnancy and delivery my health won’t allow it.”
If you have been affected by sexual violence, please consider talking to Galway Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 355 355 or call the National 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline on 1800 77 8888. You can also email Galway Rape Crisis Centre at [email protected] or visit their centre at Forster Street, Galway city.
For the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here