Rapist's claims of innocence 'contemptuous', says judge

Mr Justice Paul Carney has described a rapist’s claims that he was wrongly convicted as “contemptuous”.

The man was before the Central Criminal Court for failing to comply with the terms of his post-release supervision following his nine-year imprisonment.

Gerard Creighton (aged 45), formerly of Cashel Road and Sundrive Road, Crumlin, had his case re-entered before Mr Justice Carney after he failed to turn up for several appointments with The Probation Service. Probation officers were also not convinced he was staying at the address he gave them.

Creighton told his defence counsel, Mr Anthony Sammon SC, that he “served time for a crime I didn’t commit” and gave the court several excuses for missing his probation appointments.

He claimed on one occasion he lost his phone and another time his car broke down.

He said he missed another appointment because he was assaulted. He also asked for a new probation officer because his current one kept asking him questions about areas of his life that he claims are “irrelevant”.

Mr Justice Carney said he rejected every excuse Creighton had offered and that it was “icing on the cake that he says he has done nine years for a crime he didn’t commit.”

“I disbelieve every single position he has taken and that he says he’s an innocent man who quietly served nine years is equally contemptuous.”

Creighton was jailed by the same judge in 1999 for nine years for the rape and false imprisonment of his former girlfriend. He had pleaded not guilty to one charge of rape, anal rape and false imprisonment of the woman in his city centre flat on September 18, 1998 and was convicted by a jury following trial.

Ms Pauline Walley SC, for the State, said that the conditions of Creighton’s post release supervision stated he must attend appointments with The Probation Service, keep them informed of his address and engage in drug, alcohol and sex offenders’ treatment as directed.

She said he had missed four appointments with The Probation Service in February and there were concerns he was not living at the address he gave them. Mr Justice Carney had remanded Creighton in custody earlier this month when the matter was first raised before him.

Today he ordered that Creighton be sent back to the District Court to deal with his non compliance with The Probation Service.