Former sports coach found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting 14-year-old girl 

Defendent, who was 62 when the offences occurred, denied the crimes, describing the evidence as 'fantasies' and 'insane'

Jury reached unanimous guilty verdicts on three counts of rape, two of oral rape, one of sexual assault and one count of exploitation of a child for the purpose of sexual activity. Picture: Dan Linehan

A 14-year-old girl told of being raped by her 62-year-old sports coach after he promised to help her as long as she kept him happy, in a trial where he completely denied the crimes saying: “I was never in the carpark with that lady and I never had a sexual encounter with her.” 

He described the evidence variously as "fantasies" and "insane", but a jury of six men and five women — one woman was discharged from the jury during the trial — took 11 hours and 55 minutes to reach unanimous guilty verdicts on Wednesday afternoon on three counts of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assault, and one count of exploitation of a child for the purpose of sexual activity.

They found him not guilty on one of the other counts of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford remanded the now convicted man in custody until January 23 for a sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

The case came to light when the complainant’s mother found two texts from the 62-year-old man on her 14-year-old daughter’s phone: “If you are my baby you get everything. Only one catch. I want to own that [vagina] of yours. Agree and you get everything; “I want to poke, that is the deal.” 

Prosecution senior counsel Jane Hyland said while the defendant, who is now aged 69, was pleading not guilty to all 10 charges, he was effectively saying in relation to the text that he must have sent it but he didn’t mean anything by it.

The State case was that all offences occurred between August and December 2019. The young woman said she was sexually assaulted, first during the sporting activity, by the defendant touching her vagina outside her clothing, and it developed from there. 

It was alleged he would get her drunk and would support her in coaching and equipment in order to induce her to engage sexually with him.

She said there was a conversation that started the sexual aspect of their interactions when he said he would help her as long as she kept him happy. She said he tried to kiss her that day. She declined. She gave him a peck to keep him happy. She was 14. He was about 62.

Ms Hyland said the texts were consistent with what he allegedly said to the 14-year-old when he first asked her for a kiss. The prosecution senior counsel said it went on from there to the accused getting drink for her. Ms Hyland said this was part of “that deal”.

“There is that gift of sports gear. He agreed she needed the gear and did not have it. Was that part of this deal whereby she was then expected to provide him with what started with a peck on the cheek and ended with things that were much more serious, much more sinister?… It was not clear what the deal was. But then it becomes clear.” 

The accused man testified in the trial: “I never in my life bought drink for a minor — never have, never will.” 

In relation to specific allegations about giving two 14-year-old girls bottles of Bulmer’s cider, he said: “That is insane.” 

Cross-examined by Ms Hyland, he agreed that on one occasion “some fella threw it [alcohol] into the back of [his car]” and that he brought it up to the girls, and he explained: “I only did that to get rid of them, because I was getting tired.” 

But he stressed: “I don’t provide drink to kids. We are totally against that in the house, we are sports people, we are not drinkers.” 

He denied all sexual contact with the complainant.

Defence senior counsel Ray Boland said to the jury: “You must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt, and you must be satisfied for the rest of your lives. If you think about it again over Christmas and have a doubt, it is too late.” 

In his closing speech, Mr Boland said if the defendant was convicted, then he would leave the court as a rapist and paedophile.

Presently, the parties cannot be identified.

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