The trial of a Clare man accused of raping and sexually abusing a teenage boy who he used to give money to has collapsed today (Tuesday) following a legal issue.
The 70- year-old accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty to three counts of anal rape and two counts of sexual assault of the youth at various locations in the county between 1999 and 2000.
The jury at the Central Criminal Court in Dublinwas told during the opening prosecution speech that the man admitted to gardaí that he touched the then 14 year old’s penis on one occasion but claimed that nothing else happened. He told gardaí during interview that he used to give the boy money for food because he felt sorry for him.
The alleged victim gave evidence that he was raped repeatedly in the man’s car on various occasions and that he was sexually abused in his house.
The jury was discharged today by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy following one day of evidence, after an issue arose during legal argument. The case will be listed for trial again in January.
By Conor Gallagher
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.