A 92-year old Co Clare man has gone on trial for the alleged indecent assault of two orphan girls that came into his care more than half a century ago.
At Ennis Circuit Court, counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL told the jury that it will be alleged that the accused indecently assaulted two girls on dates from July 1st 1973 to January 31st 1975.
The man recently turned 92 and at the time of the alleged offences, the accused was aged between 39 and 40.
The man (represented by Patrick Whyms BL, instructed by solicitor, Daragh Hassett) denies six counts of indecent assault against one girl and two counts of indecent assault against the second girl.
Ms Comerford (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) in her opening remarks told the jury on Wednesday “it is the State’s case that the accused indecently assaulted the two girls at a time when they were between seven and nine years of age when they were in his care.”
Ms Comerford said that the two girls were born in 1964 and 1965 in Co Clare and their father and mother both died years apart when they were young.
Ms Comerford said that after their mother’s death, the two stayed with a woman they called their ‘aunt’ who was a good friend of their mother’s.
Ms Comerford said the woman was not a blood relation but was a god-mother to one of the girls.
She said that the woman married the accused in the early 1970s and the two young girls moved in to live with the couple in their marital home in Co Clare.
Ms Comerford said that it was during that time when the two girls were indecently assaulted by the accused.
She said that one girl recalls two specific instances of being indecently assaulted by the accused when she was around seven or eight that included once in the accused’s work vehicle and on a different date in a bed at their home.
Ms Comerford said that as a nine year old the second complainant would wake up in the morning and jump into bed beside the accused and his wife and the accused would indecently assault the girl.
Ms Comeford said that this happened regularly when she lived with the two.
Counsel said that the abuse ended when one girl was sent to a school and the second girl went to live with grand-parents.
Evidence is due to commence on Thursday before a jury.
