Farmer denied rape allegations to gardaí, court hears
An Offaly farmer charged with raping a teenage girl denied the allegation when interviewed by gardaí.
"Straight up, I did not rape that girl," he said. "I did not have sexual intercourse with her in the field."
The 56-year-old man is pleading not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping and sexually assaulting the then 16-year-old girl on April 8, 2004 in his jeep in a field. It was day three of his trial.
The jury also heard the complainant’s former boyfriend claim she told him the accused hadn’t raped her. He also agreed that he got "work" from the accused’s family.
Detective Garda Declan Geraghty told prosecuting counsel, Mr Tom Creed SC, that when gardaí arrested the accused at his home on April 9, 2004 he outrightly denied he had raped the complainant
They asked him whether the clothes he was wearing were the same as those he wore the previous day. He said they were and gave them to the gardaí.
Det Garda Geraghty said the accused told gardaí when interviewed that he thought: "Who I was, what I am and the consequences of what might happen" when the schoolgirl was with him in his jeep
The complainant’s former boyfriend told defence counsel, Mr Colm Smyth SC, that when she contacted him on April 10, 2004 to meet up at a local pub, he asked her whether the rumour he had heard about her being raped by the accused was true and she told him: "It didn’t happen."
Asked by Mr Creed how well did he know the family of the accused, he replied: "I get work from them."
He said he met the accused’s son one day and "the charges against his father came up in conversation" while they worked on a machine that had broken down.
"He asked me did I know what happened. He said that my name was mentioned in the case. He said that his father’s solicitors would contact me."
He said the accused’s solicitors contacted him "a year ago to make a statement."
Asked by Mr Creed (with Ms Dara Foynes BL), whether his relationship with the complainant had continued after their meeting on April 10, 2004, he replied: "I didn’t see her after that."
The trial continues before Mr Justice Peter Charleton and a jury of four women and eight men.
