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Abuse accused fails in last ditch bid to halt trial

Summary

A man in his 60s, charged with 105 counts of sexual abuse of a younger relative aged 7 to 18 between 1971 and 1982, lost a last‑ditch attempt to halt his pending prosecution on the basis of delay. The High Court refused an injunction that would have barred the Director of Public Prosecutions from proceeding, and the Court of Appeal upheld that decision. The judge noted the delay of 36 to 47 years was not exceptional and that the accused, now 64, was capable of remembering relevant details. He had no particular vulnerability or severe illness, though he had experienced stress from the accusations. The court found no real risk of an unfair trial and rejected the claim that the delay warranted a stay of proceedings. The case was dismissed on the grounds that the delay could be addressed at trial rather than through judicial review.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Abuse accused fails in last ditch bid to halt trial. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• 1971 and 1982 Incident
• 2020-01-21 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

Read the original CNI report