Jury begins deliberations in trial of sports coach accused of raping teenager 35 years ago – The Irish Times

The jury in the trial of a sports coach accused of raping and sexually abusing a teenager 35 years ago has begun deliberations at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

The 78-year-old man, whose name cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and 15 counts of indecent touching at a school between October 1989 and October 1990. The plaintiff was between 13 and 14 years old at the time.

During the trial, the jury was instructed by the trial judge to acquit the man of four of these charges after legal reasoning, so the jury would have to consider one count of rape and 11 counts of sexual assault. The date of the offenses was also changed from October 1989 to June 1990.

The trial will continue before Judge Melanie Greally, with the jury expected to return on Thursday to continue its deliberations on verdict.