One of alleged victims was a friend, rape accused claims
A man accused of sexually abusing three teenagers over 40 years ago told gardaí that he and one of the complainants had been friends and the allegations only came out when his business was splitting up.
The 75-year-old accused, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 19 charges of indecent assault on dates between January 1, 1969 and June 30, 1973 when a male complainant was aged between 13 and 17 years old.
He has also pleaded not guilty to 14 charges in relation to both rape and indecent assault of a female complainant and to 12 charges of rape and one of indecent assault in relation to a second girl on dates between January 1, 1970 and August 31, 1973.
The girls were aged between 13 and 16 years old at the time.
Detective Sergeant Mark Kavanagh told Ms Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, that the man was arrested and interviewed in December 2004 after the three complainants reported the alleged abuse to gardai a number of months previously.
The accused told gardaí that he and the male complainant had been friends and “the allegations only came to light when I was splitting up my business”.
Det Sgt Kavanagh told the jury the accused said the complainant had told him if he did not agree to sign over his share of the business and some properties by a certain time and date “then this would come out and it did”.
He also claimed that the man had “caused a lot of harassment in my life and his sister told me his brothers were gunning for me”.
Det Sgt Kavanagh agreed with Mr Giollaíosa O’Lideadha SC, defending, that his client has no previous convictions nor has he ever been a suspect or an accused in a criminal offence.
He accepted that the accused said in interview that the male complainant had done a lot of “damaging”.
He further accepted that the accused told gardaí when referring to the complainant’s behaviour “I can’t use the word. I hope you know what I mean” but rejected a suggestion that he was trying to convey that “it had been a blackmail attempt”.
Mr O’Lideadha then asked for his client’s video of interview with gardai to be played to the jury but afterwards Det Sgt Kavanagh still refused to accept that the accused had been “essentially making an allegation of blackmail” against the complainant.
“I do not accept that,” Det Sgt Kavanagh said.
He agreed with Ms Small in re-examination that both the accused and the complainant had made allegations of harassment against each other following the abuse allegations coming to light.
He confirmed that the accused had never made an allegation of blackmail against the male complainant nor had he ever been asked to investigate the man in relation to blackmail.
The prosecution case has closed before the jury of seven women and five men and the trial continues in legal argument before Mr Justice Barry White.
The hearing is expected to resume before the jury on Friday.
