Court told rape accused denied allegation when arrested
The Galway man accused of raping a neighbour in his marital home almost 30 years ago denied the allegation when arrested by gardaí.
"I'd say that girl never stood in the house," he replied to Detective Inspector Gerard Roche.
Another man who was alleged by the complainant to be present in the house at the same time said he had no memory at this time of ever being there in the presence of the complainant and her sister.
The complainant's sister had earlier agreed with defence counsel, Mr Martin Giblin SC (with Ms Monika Leech BL) on day-two of the trial at the Central Criminal Court that she felt under obligation to assist her who had had had, as counsel suggested, "her troubles in life".
The 57-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty to two counts of raping the woman on dates in 1972 and 1979, and to one count of indecently assaulting her on a date in 1971.
The complainant's sister had earlier told prosecuting counsel, Ms Mary Ellen Ring SC (with Mr Paul Carroll BL), that she sat on the couch in the sitting room with this man who she said put his arm around her.
She said the accused left the room after her sister went to find the toilet but she couldn't recall what they did after they returned and didn't know how they got home.
When Mr Giblin noted that this was the first time she had said the accused left the room after her sister and asked her why she had never told gardaí in her interviews about this before, she said she didn't know why and agreed when pressed that she was close to her sister and was concerned for her.
She further agreed with Mr Giblin that she remembered her sister being beaten with a stick by their father who she said "hit her quite often".
She said she didn't know how they got home from the house and agreed with Mr Giblin's suggestion that if as they claimed they were given a lift to the house by the accused but had to walk home in the dark "it would have been discourteous" and they might "perhaps have been furious" with him.
The hearing continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of six men and six women.
