Accused appeals bail refusal in rape case

A 37-YEAR-OLD man accused of raping and falsely imprisoning a 19-year-old woman is appealing to the High Court the refusal of bail in his case.

The defendant appeared at Cork District Court by video link from the Midlands Prison following the refusal of bail in his case last week.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the defendant would be making a High Court application for bail in the coming days.

Judge Colm Roberts adjourned the case until June 21. The accused was told that if he got bail, he would have to attend court in person on that date.

Detective Garda Paul Cogan, of the Protection Services Unit at Anglesea Street garda station, charged the defendant with rape and false imprisonment. Objecting to bail because of the seriousness of what was alleged on August 18, 2021, he said the complainant, who is now 21 and was 19 at the time, sustained a physical injury when she tried to stop the rape from happening.

In May and June of 2021, it is alleged that his behaviour towards her was inappropriate and she was in fear of him.

It is alleged that the young woman was alone in the business premises on the evening of August 17, 2021, when the accused returned in an intoxicated condition as she was locking up.

“She said he arrived in an intoxicated state and asked her to have a glass of wine with him. He opened a bottle of wine,” Det Garda Hogan said.

He said the complainant said she agreed to have some wine as she did not want to aggravate him. He then asked her to have some vodka with him.

“She said she needed to go home but he drove her to his apartment… He forced her to drink more vodka… He was aggressive,” Det Garda Hogan said.

The complainant alleged that he would not let her leave the apartment and that he raped her there. She told gardaí that when he fell asleep at around 6am on the morning of August 18, 2021, she took the opportunity to leave the apartment. She said that he woke and came to the door of the property as she was leaving.

There is a legal prohibition against identification of the parties in this case.