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Judge directs jury to acquit man accused of sexually assaulting bar woman
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Donal Geoghegan, 37, was charged with sexually assaulting a woman on a dance floor in a late bar on 21 November 2015. The complainant recounted feeling a hand on her thigh that moved to her vagina, but she could not identify the assailant. Judge Cormac Quinn directed the jury to acquit Geoghegan on day four, citing the lack of evidence that the defendant touched the complainant. He noted that CCTV footage did not reveal the assailant's identity and that another man, referred to as "Mr X," was present and had behaved in a tactile manner towards several women, including the complainant. The judge argued that the Garda investigation had not examined Mr X or other potential witnesses, and that this omission made a conviction impossible. The case was dismissed, and an application for costs will be heard on 11 January 2018. Donal Geoghegan pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Judge directs jury to acquit man accused of sexually assaulting bar woman. Charges or matters: sexually assaulting the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in a city centre late night bar on November 21, 2015. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- November 21, 2015 Incident
- January 11, 2018 Other
- 2017-12-18 Publication
Why: "I am satisfied in this case that the mere facts a complaint wasn't made about "Mr X" was not sufficient reason for gardai not to investigate him. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: sexually assaulting the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in a city centre late night bar on November 21, 2015 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
Topics
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