Convicted rapist may be using ‘delaying tactic’ to remain anonymous court told

A convicted child rapist may be using “a delaying tactic” to prevent his identity being published, a court has heard.

The 56-year-old man pleaded guilty in 2015 at the Central Criminal Court to the repeated rape and sexual assault of his wife’s two sons at his Wicklow home over a ten-year period. The victims were under ten years old when the abuse started in 1993 and the attacks continued for a decade.

In March 2016 Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a prison term of 21 years, with the final five years suspended.

At this sentencing, the victims told the court they wished to waive their statutory anonymity so their step-father can be named publicly.

However, Mr Justice Hunt placed a stay on the waiving of the anonymity because there were related cases to be prosecuted at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court.

The court heard that publicity of the 2015 convictions would make it difficult to select a jury for the Wicklow trials, which involved the same victims and allegations against two other people.

Mr Justice Hunt gave assurances that at some stage anonymity would be lifted and told Paul Murray SC, for the DPP, that the State could bring the matter back before him once the Wicklow trials had run their course.

At a hearing last July Mr Murray told Mr Justice Hunt that the Wicklow trials ended in June, with one person convicted and another acquitted.

He told the court that the DPP was applying to the court to lift the order preventing the man’s identify being published.

The court heard that the convicted man has since dismissed his previous legal team and has written to Kildare-based solicitors Burns Nolans.

At the Central Criminal Court on Monday morning, Carol Doherty BL told Mr Justice Hunt that she had received updated instructions from these solicitors that the man no longer wishes to be represented by them.

Ms Doherty said the last instruction she had received was that the convicted man intends to resist any lifting of restrictions.

The convicted man told Mr Justice Hunt that he was in the process of getting a new solicitor. He said he had identified one, but did not yet have the solicitor’s phone number.

Mr Murray said it was “difficult to avoid the conclusion that this is a delaying tactic”.

Mr Justice Hunt said that it “may or may not be”, but he was going to give the convicted man a last opportunity. He said that there comes a time he cannot continue to be indulgent.

The judge advised the convicted man to get legal advice or he may grant the order the prosecution is seeking on the next date. He adjourned the matter to October 20th.