Man on trial for sexually abusing girl told gardaí there was a 'conspiracy'

A Dublin man on trial at the Central Criminal Court on charges of sexually abusing a young girl in the city over 20 years ago told gardaí there was a "conspiracy" and the alleged victim was being "led on by someone".

The 58-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault on dates between September and December 1983 and two counts of rape on dates between May 1984 and February 1988 against the girl while she was aged between six and 11 years old.

Garda Brigid Goode told Ms Mary Ellen Ring SC, prosecuting, that the accused, who has no previous convictions, was arrested and interviewed in relation to the charges in April 2005.

The accused man denied all the allegations against him and said the complainant had "another agenda". He claimed there was a "conspiracy" and she was being "led on by someone".

He denied teaching her how to play the guitar and said the only time that he had laid his hands on her was to drag her out of his house when she was fighting with her sister. He denied ever having sex with the girl and said the allegations were a "figment of her imagination".

Garda Goode agreed with defence counsel, Mr Luán Ó Braonáin SC, that when the alleged victim first presented at a Garda station in April 2004 to make a complaint she suggested the woman to go away and make notes before a formal statement was taken because she was so upset and it was difficult to get details from her.

She agreed with Mr Ó Braonáin that it was unusual for this to happen before a formal statement was taken.

She agreed that the allegations were taken "on face value" and agreed that if a different version of events had been given to another person "it would be a matter of concern."

She agreed with Mr Ó Braonáin that everyone was at a disadvantage due to the "antiquity" of the alleged events and that some potential witnesses had declined to give evidence due to this and "a number of reasons".

The now 31-year-old woman agreed with Mr Ó Braonáin during cross-examination that she had been asked by her parents during her childhood if she had been sexually abused by particular individuals and agreed she had not taken the opportunity then to say that she was being abused by someone else.

She told Mr Ó Braonáin that she did not remember telling a psychiatrist in 2004 that she had been abused from the age of approximately 12 years old by a person she did not name.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Daniel Herbert and a jury of five men and seven women.