Friend of accused denies hiding knife and clothing, court hears

The school friend of a Kildare man, accused of sexually assaulting and threatening to kill a woman, has denied that he hid a knife for the accused or provided him with him a change of clothing on the day of the attack.

He was giving evidence on day-four of the trial in which the 20-year-old man has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault, producing a knife while committing an assault, assault with intent to commit sexual assault and a threat to kill or cause serious harm to the woman on August 14, 2006 in a park.

The victim earlier told the jury that while walking in her local park just before midday a man holding a knife approached her and threatened to kill her if she didn't perform oral sex on him.

She described her attacker as being tall and thin, with short brown hair, brown eyes and a definite jawline and said he was wearing cream coloured tracksuit bottoms, a blue hoodie and white runners.

The accused's friend told defence counsel Mr Pieter Le Vert that the accused called to his house on August 14, 2006, wearing cream bottoms, a blue Adidas top and white Adidas runners.

He brought his friend into the house and after he showered the two left his home about 1 pm and called to another friend. The three of them went on to their local shopping centre.

He said a few days later his home was searched by gardai and both his mobile phone and computer were taken. He was then arrested and questioned by gardai

Witness told Mr Le Vert that he didn't see the accused change his clothes in his home on August 14, 2006 and he had no reason to think anything was bothering him.

The accused's next door neighbour told the jury that he saw the man walking through his back gate at 12 pm on August 14, 2006. He said he knew it was that time because he heard the angelus ringing out from the local church.

Witness refused to accept a suggestion from Ms Una Ni Raifeartaigh BL, prosecuting that his evidence was "an afterthought" and that he had come to court to "get his neighbour off the hook".

She put in to him that the accused had testified during the trial that he left his back garden a few minutes after 12pm, having checked a clock for the time and he claimed he never heard the angelus ringing out.

He also didn't accept a suggestion that it was "utterly implausible" that a week after the event he remembered seeing his neighbour walking out the gate when the angelus were ringing.

The witness agreed with Ms Ni Raifeartaigh that the accused worked with him and that he had known him since he was a baby.

He said he received a phonecall in work on August 17, 2006, asking him to tell the manager that the accused would not be in because he was arrested. He said he called into the house that night and learned that the man had been accused of assaulting someone three days previously.

Witness said he didn't learn until the following week that the assault happened at 12 pm. He said when he learned in January that the accused had been charged with the assault he told the family; "That's ridiculous because I saw him about 12 pm that day."

He said he did not go to the garda station with the information because he thought they would come to him.

He accepted that he was effectively acting as an alibi for the accused. When Ms Ni Raifeartaigh told him that the defence lawyers were never made aware that there was to be an alibi in the case, witness replied "That's not my fault".

The trial continues before Judge Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.