Garda hunt on as paedophile flees before sex assault trial ends

GARDAÍ were last night hunting for a convicted paedophile who disappeared before the end of his trial yesterday.

A jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict in less than 45 minutes yesterday on each of the seven charges against him at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

But the accused, who sexually assaulted seven boys in the toilets of fast food restaurants and swimming pools in Cork city, was not in court.

Gardai are looking for the 36-year-old, wanted for sentencing for the sex crimes which occurred between 1992 and 1994.

Judge Sean O’Donnabhain issued a bench warrant for his arrest on the application of prosecuting barrister Marjorie Farrelly.

The judge was told the man signed on for social welfare yesterday shortly after 9am. For legal reasons it is not possible to identify the accused.

The defendant was on High Court bail for the duration of the case.

He failed to appear at 10.30am for the formal closing of the case by the prosecution and defence.

In the circumstances, Judge O’Donnabhain said it would be fairer if the prosecution did not sum up their case and for it to be left to him (the judge) to put the jury in charge of the case.

The judge told the 10 men and two women that the defendant came to court and pleaded not guilty to all seven charges, the gardaí said that he made statements of admission to the charges but the defendant testified he was depressed, anxious and not in control of his mind at the time of the statements. However, the judge also brought to the jury’s attention an unusual aspect of the case that materialised during cross-examination by Ms Farrelly BL.

“She asked him, ‘Are you the man who carried out the sexual assaults?’ He accepts he was the person. He accepts that now,” Judge O’Donnabhain said.

During a statement to gardaí, the accused said: “I deeply regret what I inflicted on these young people.”

Another statement ended with the words: “I deeply regret the incidents with these innocent young children.” Yet throughout the trial he pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Most of the seven complainants, now aged 19 and 20, who were aged between 7 and 10 at the time of the offences, described being brought into a cubicle by a man and having their pants pulled down and their genitals fondled.

None of them gave any evidence of identification.