Jury fails to reach verdict on Cork GP accused of sexual assault

A jury failed to reach a verdict in the case of a North Cork GP accused of sexually assaulting a teenage patient almost 20 years ago.

Despite deliberating for more than eight hours over two days at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, the jury foreperson told Judge Seán O Donnabháin that there was no possibility of reaching an agreement in the trial of Kevin Mulcahy.

The 57-year-old doctor from Cregane, Lombardstown, Mallow, Co Cork, was impassive as Judge O Donnabháin thanked the jury for its service.

He had pleaded not guilty to two charges of sexually assaulting the female patient when she was aged 17/18.

The complainant, who is now in her mid-30s, claimed she was sexually assaulted by Dr Mulcahy many times when she visited his surgery once or twice a week over a period of more than a year.

The four-day trial heard from the complainant that Dr Mulcahy had allegedly made her touch his penis and told her she could do whatever she wanted to it, among other allegations. His senior defence counsel, Blaise O’Carroll, suggested in response to the allegations that they were a figment of her imagination and had never happened.

Judge O Donnabháin said the jury had done its very best and that its members had given their time and effort conscientiously. He could ask no more of them, he added.

The jury had been told that a verdict of 11-1 or 10-2 would be accepted by the court but the foreperson said it could not come to an agreement even at that.

Dr Mulcahy was remanded on continuing bail until the next term of Cork Circuit Court criminal sittings on June 9.

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