A jury has failed to agree a verdict in a case in which a Navan man in his 40s was charged with sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl. Neither person can be named. A four-day trial took place at Trim Circuit Court in a case in which the man faced five charges of alleged sexual assault at locations in Navan from January 19 th to 21 th, 2022.
The court was told that the alleged victim had been helping a relative with certain duties when the accused touched her inappropriately on five different occasions when they were on their own. In a specialist interview conducted by a Garda, and shown to the jury by video, the girl said that the accused touched her bottom multiple times when they were walking. It was also alleged he put his hands up her jumper and tried to put his hand down her trousers. She said she tried to push his hand away. She did not say anything to him as her “brain went on strike”. She was wondering why he was doing it, she said.
She also said in the interview that the accused was “like a second dad” to her and she did not know what to do. She told a friend what had happened and also told another girl when they were at school. She also told her mother and the incident was then reported to Gardai. The court was told that when the accused was first informed of the allegation by a family member he contacted Tusla straight away to make them aware. He had also phoned his friend, a relative of the alleged victim, to tell him what he had heard.
Following his arrest and interview at a Meath Garda station he declined the offer of a solicitor. He denied all the allegations put to him and at one stage “swore on his father’s grave” that he did not touch the girl. The accused man was defended in court by senior counsel Kathleen Leader and barrister James O’Brien, instructed by solicitor Maurice Regan. Ms Leader said her client contacted Tusla bringing down an investigation onto his own head and that showed the actions of a man “who had absolutely nothing to hide”.
The jury began its deliberations on Thursday afternoon and resumed on Friday. They were told by Judge John Martin that they could return a majority verdict, however, they returned at 6.30pm on Friday and the jury foreman said they were unable to reach a verdict. The trial ended with a hung jury. On Thursday of this week the court was informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions would not be ordering a retrial.
