Jury in Offaly rape trial continue deliberations
The jury in the trial of an Offaly farmer charged with raping and sexually assaulting his niece over an eight year period has started its deliberations at the Central Criminal Court.
The man pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial to a total of 44 charges - 27 of rape on dates from 1992 to 1998, and 17 of indecent and sexual assault on dates from 1990 to 1995.
Mr Justice Peter Charleton has told the jury, following an application by defence counsel, Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Ms Sara Phelan BL), that he will direct it to return verdicts of "not guilty by direction of the judge" on a number of the charges against the 54-year-old father of a family.
The jury of seven men and five women spent last night in a hotel at the conclusion of Mr Justice Charleton's charge and has now formally started deliberating. Verdicts are expected later today.
Earlier, the jury heard closing addresses by prosecution counsel, Mr Niall Durnin SC (with Ms Dara Foynes BL), and from Mr Gageby.
This is day-four of the hearing in which the now 29-year-old complainant claimed her uncle raped and sexually assaulted at two specific places in Offaly.
She said this included him raping her in a milking parlour, and in his own house while his wife was asleep. The accused's wife denied this claim in her evidence on his behalf and said she would have known if it happened.
The woman's first cousin also said in defence evidence that when 13-years-old the complainant told her she was having sex with two men, including a local businessman, who were friends of her parents,
She said she didn't believe her cousin's stories at the time. "I felt it was building castles in the air, a bravado," she said.
The jury also heard that the complainant might sue her uncle for the alleged abuses and she agreed when asked by Mr Gageby that she had a solicitor in court who had experience of these types of damages claims.
