A FORMER SPORTS coach who is accused of sexually abusing four children in the 1970s and 1980s told gardaí when he was charged that he had never heard of two of the girls. 

The man (70s), who cannot be named due to the nature of the charges, is accused of 78 indecent assaults and one attempted rape in a number of locations within the state.

The four complainants were aged between eight and 15 when the alleged offences occurred.

He has pleaded not guilty to 73 counts of indecently assaulting the four complainants on dates between 1971 and 1981, and one count of attempted rape in 1976.

He has pleaded guilty to five counts of indecently assaulting one of the complainants on a number of dates between May and September 1976.

It is the state’s case that the abuse took the form of kissing, inappropriate touching, digital penetration, forced oral sex and, in relation to one complainant, attempted rape.

At the Central Criminal Court this morning, a garda sergeant attached to the sexual crime management unit of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau gave evidence of taking statements from the complainants on dates between 2021 and 2022. 

The sergeant told James Dwyer SC, for the prosecution, that it took over an hour to put the 79 counts to the accused after he was arrested.

The court heard that he replied to a number of the charges as they were put to him.

In response to one of the charges that he allegedly indecently assaulted the first complainant in his home, the accused said: “She was never in my house for a lot of this.”

Responding to two other charges that he allegedly indecently assaulted the first complainant in his home, he said: “She was never in my home.”

The man has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of indecent assault in relation to the first complainant on dates between 1975 and 1977. The guilty pleas he entered are in relation to her.

When charges relating to his alleged indecent assault of the second complainant in his home were put to him, the court heard that he told gardaí the complainant “was never in my house”.

The man has denied two counts of indecently assaulting the second complainant on dates between 1975 and 1977.

When a number of charges of indecent assault relating to the third complainant were put to him, he said a number of things in response to the various charges, including “I never heard of her”, “no, I don’t know her” and “never heard of her or the place”. 

After one of the charges related to the same complainant was put to him, he said: “Unless my mind is gone, I never heard of her.”

The accused has pleaded not guilty to 41 counts of indecently assaulting the third complainant and one count of attempted rape on dates between 1971 and 1975.

The court also heard that when the charge of indecently assaulting the fourth complainant was put to the accused, he replied: “I never heard of her.”

Under cross-examination by Patrick Gageby SC, for the accused, the sergeant confirmed the dates that the statements were taken from each of the complainants.

The sergeant confirmed that the accused said “Unless my mind is gone, I never heard of her” after being charged with indecently assaulting the third complainant, and that he asked “would she have changed her name?” when charged with another count of indecently assaulting the third complainant.

The trial also heard evidence from the principals of several schools, who confirmed, having examined their record books, the attendance of the four complainants at the respective schools on dates in the 1960s and 1970s.

The prosecution closed their case this morning and the jury of six men and six women were sent home until Tuesday afternoon. 

The trial continues before Mr Justice Mícheál O’Higgins.