Cork man accused of fleeing from Garda checkpoint

A man who was sought by gardaí for allegedly approaching a rape victim shortly after his release following nine years in jail for the crime was caught after fleeing from a checkpoint in Mallow at the weekend.

Detective Garda Noelle MacSweeney gave evidence that Keith Ahern allegedly made two different efforts to flee from gardaí after he was spotted in a taxi that was driven up to a Garda checkpoint on Saturday night/Sunday morning, May 30/31.

At the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on Tuesday, Det Garda MacSweeney testified: “A taxi pulled up to a checkpoint. The man in the front passenger seat gave his name as (false name). As I approached, he took off, running.

“I arrested this man after he fled on foot and he was found to be Ahern. He was brought back to Mallow Garda Station and it was found that a warrant was in existence for his arrest.

“He had injured his fingers in the course of his arrest and he was brought to hospital. On the way back from the hospital to Mallow Garda Station he tried to jump from the patrol car.” 

The 32-year-old was rearrested and brought to court on Tuesday morning.

 The warrant for his arrest was issued on April 13. 

Detective Sergeant Katrine Tansley said on that occasion that days after being released after nine years in jail for rape, Ahern breached a court order and approached the victim on the street.

Det Garda Tansley said Ahern was released from prison on January 29, with the last of a 10-year sentence suspended on conditions that required him to have no contact with the victim.

The detective said the victim alleged that on February 10 this year, Ahern approached her on a street in Cork city and that there was CCTV to support the allegation.

Ahern was living at Sawmill Lane, Sawmill St, in Cork at the time of the rape in June 2013.

While he did not physically rape the woman himself, he was part of a joint enterprise by holding her down while his friend raped her. He pleaded not guilty to rape but a jury found him guilty.

He was represented in court on Tuesday by barrister Alan O’Dwyer, who said his understanding was that the complainant no longer wanted to give evidence in the matter. 

He said Ahern was quite agitated. Mr O'Dwyer said the defendent would turn up on Thursday, if released on bail, for the State’s application to have the suspended one-year portion of the sentence activated. This is because of the alleged breach of conditions requiring him to have no contact with the victim.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford remanded him in custody and said: “You are pushing a boulder up a hill asking for bail."

The question of whether the one year will have to be served by Ahern will be addressed on June 4.