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Students plead guilty to sexual assaults on schoolgirl in Galway
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A 19-year-old Leaving Cert student pleaded guilty today to the statutory rape of a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Galway city two years ago.
The youth, who was 17 at the time of the offence and is from another part of the country, appeared before the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Galway today.
The 19 year old man who was initially charged with raping the girl, who is now 17, pleaded guilty before his trial was due to begin today, to the defilement, or statutory rape of the then underage girl at a city apartment on August 1, 2012.
Two other charges of sexual assault against him were withdrawn by the prosecution following his plea to the underage rape charge.
His friend, who is now also 19, and a student in another city, pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of the girl during the same incident.
He had initially been charged with the attempted rape and sexual assault of the girl.
John Jordan SC prosecuting said the DPP had decided not to pursue a single charge of sexual assault of “secondary participation” brought against a third, now 21-year-old accused who was present during the assaults in the apartment.
Mr Justice Barry White told the jury of eight women and four men that the threat of a two-week trial had dissipated once the DPP had accepted the guilty pleas from two of the accused.
Justice White agreed to a request by Mr Jordan for time to consider certain legal issues before the question of sentencing could be dealt with and he adjourned all matters to tomorrow.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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