Man killed in south Dublin crash was due to go on trial for almost 100 sexual offences

When the case of a man being charged with almost 100 historical sexual offences came before the Central Criminal Court on Monday morning, the court was told he was deceased and no order was made. File photograph: Cyril Byrne

A man killed in a single-vehicle crash in south Dublin at the weekend was due to stand trial on Monday morning at the Central Criminal Court after being charged with almost 100 historical sexual offences.

The man, who was aged in his 60s, died when the van he was driving hit a tree at about 6.15am on Sunday on Lower Churchtown Road, Churchtown. No other vehicles were involved, and the dead man was the sole occupant of the van.

While the cause of the crash is still under investigation by gardaí one line of inquiry being explored is that it was a deliberate crash as the man wanted to avoid going on trial. However, sources said this would likely never be proven.

When the man’s case came before the Central Criminal Court on Monday morning, the court was told he was deceased and no order was made. That means the prosecution process has ended as it cannot proceed because the suspect has died.

The Irish Times understands that a number of people alleged the man abused them in the 1980s when he had access to children and young and vulnerable people through roles in his personal life and also through his job.

An extensive Garda investigation was carried out into the allegations against him, including gardaí interviewing his victims and taking statements from them. A file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who directed the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, should be charged with 95 offences.

He was facing 55 counts of indecent assault, 27 charges of sexual assault and 13 charges of rape. However, while a significant amount of resources had been invested in the trial due to start on Monday, and victims were set to give evidence, the process has been halted by the death of the accused man.

Informed sources said as the victims learned of the death of the man on the day before he was due to stand trial for abuse four decades ago they were distraught and angry he would not face justice.

Garda Headquarters issued a statement on Sunday evening confirming a man in his 60s was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Churchtown Road Upper earlier that morning, though it did not name him.

“A technical examination of the scene has been conducted by forensic collision investigators and the road has since reopened. Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward,” the statement added.

Gardaí appealed for any road-users, especially those recoding dashcam footage, in the area of the Churchtown Road Upper between 6am and 6.30am to contact the investigation team at Dundrum Garda station. However, as the man is now deceased and no other road-users were involved in the crash the investigation into his death is not criminal in nature. Instead it is being conducted solely to inform the inquest process, which establishes how a death occurred.

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Conor Lally

Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times

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