Man claims he was abused when neighbour took him shooting

A man claimed he was sexually abused from the time of his 13th birthday while out shooting with a neighbour.

The complainant, now aged 40, testified yesterday that the accused used to take him out shooting rabbits and pigeons and that on his 13th birthday he gave him 20 bullets to fire at glass bottles.

“If I missed he started to bite my ear and rub himself against me,” the complainant testified.

“He took out his penis and my penis and rubbed them against each other. He warned me not to tell anyone. He made me masturbate him. It carried on like that throughout the summer. His big thing was rubbing the penises together. He said if I did not do what he wanted he would ride me. He thought I enjoyed it. He got off on that.”

A man in his 60s was put on trial yesterday on 32 counts of indecently or sexually assaulting the boy from the age of 13 to the age of 15. He denied all charges at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Elizabeth O’Connell SC, defending, suggested the incidents described by the complainant never happened and he was looking back now as if they did. He replied that they did happen.

Ms O’Connell said the complainant had previously complained that a scout leader tried to sexually assault him when he was younger than 13 but he managed to fend him off by shouting until he stopped. She asked why he could not have done the same thing in the present case. He said that, in the case of the scout leader, other scouts were in the area but in the present case there was no one else around.

Ms O’Connell said the accused stated he was never alone with the complainant and did not recall ever going shooting together.

Questioned by gardaí about the allegations, the defendant was asked why he thought the allegations were being made.

He replied: “He is acting the big hard man for people in the village. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was being paid to do it. His word would be believed over mine.”

He told gardaí he would like to take a polygraph test to prove he was telling the truth. He said the complainant had stayed friendly with him over the years and there was no problem between them up to three years ago.

The trial continues today.