Additional time to continue deliberations on a number of outstanding charges in a creche assault case has been requested by the jury in a case where a childcare worker is accused of sexually assaulting four girls in a Leinster crèche.
Last Monday the jury in the case was unable to come to a number of verdicts, despite acquitting the man on three other charges relating to the first girl, and acquitted of both charges in relation to the fourth girl. The jury then informed Judge Elma Sheahan that it would like more time to deliberate on the remaining charges against the 29-year-old man, who cannot be named to safeguard the identity of the children.
The man had entering a plea of not guilty in relation to 23 counts of sexually assaulting the girls at the crèche on dates ranging to August 2014 and December 2016, when they were aged between five and eight years old. The prosecution claimed that accused man in question had sexually assaulted the girls, who were all part of a “small circle of friends”.
However, legal counsel for the accused man say that the case was “marked by its failure to listen to the children” and that the man had been left “utterly devastated” by the false allegations made against him.
Yesterday at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday the trial told Judge Sheahan that it was unable to reach verdict in relation to the remaining 18 counts of sexual assault after deliberating for 21 hours and 41 minutes.
Judge Sheahan then opted to adjourn the trial until June 16 and thanked the jury for their service while remanding the man on continuing bail.