Latest news with #TerenceCrosbie
Irish Times
12 hours ago
- Irish Times
Woman's ‘nightmare began as she woke up', US prosecutor tells rape trial of Dublin firefighter
A US woman who has accused a Dublin firefighter of raping in her in a Boston hotel endured a 'nightmare' that began 'as she woke up', a US court was told. Jurors in a Boston courthouse heard opening statements and testimony from the 29-year-old complainant in the case against Dublin firefighter Terence Crosbie arrested on rape charges over St Patrick's Day weekend last year . Mr Crosbie (39) is charged with assaulting the woman in a shared hotel room while his colleague Liam O'Brien slept in the other bed. He denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty in the trial, which started on Monday. READ MORE 'Our nightmares belong in our sleep and our nightmares and are supposed to end when we wake up,' the prosecuting lawyer, Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Daniela Mendes, said in her opening statement to the jury. 'Her nightmare began as she woke up.' Ms Mendes told jurors that the prosecution will present evidence 'that will prove beyond a reasonable doubt' that Mr Crosbie raped the woman as she slept and continued to do so after she woke up and tried to fight him off. Mr Crosbie's defence attorney, Patrick Garrity, told the jury 'the evidence will show you that there is a lot of doubt'. The woman claims she went with Mr O'Brien to room 610 of the Omni Parker House hotel on Thursday, March 14th, after meeting him at a nearby bar, The Black Rose. The couple then had sex and fell asleep in separate beds. She then woke up to a different man with 'an Irish accent' raping her. The key contention between the two sides presented to jurors was how the DNA evidence collected from the woman was interpreted. Forensic experts found 'two distinct male profiles', Ms Mendes told the court. Prosecutors claim the finding of two male profiles supports the complainant's allegation that she was assaulted by a second man after having consensual sex with Mr O'Brien. But Ms Mendes added that there was an insufficient amount of DNA to match the second profile 'to a known person'. Defence lawyers told the jury of eight men and six women that the only known male DNA profile belongs to Mr O'Brien. 'Not once did they find a trace of Terence Crosbie,' Mr Garrity told the court. The prosecution case is that the encounter with Mr O'Brien was consensual, Ms Mendes told the court – that was the night she signed up for. 'She did not sign up to be raped in her sleep by that man's hotel roommate,' the prosecuting lawyer said. Mr Crosbie met another woman at the bar, she said, but left the bar alone. Although he initially waited outside the hotel room on a chair in the hallway to give his friend privacy, shortly before 2am he 'was done waiting'. He saw that the complainant was 'defenceless' and asleep, and 'saw an opportunity', said the prosecutor. According to the prosecution, the woman awoke to a man with an Irish accent having sex with her. The man, later identified by the woman as Mr Crosbie, told the accuser that she 'wanted this', even as she struggled and told him to stop. When she broke free, he then cornered her against a wall, all while Mr O'Brien slept, oblivious, still snoring, the prosecuting lawyer said. Mr Garrity began opening statements with his hands on the defendant's shoulders, calling him 'Terry' as Mr Crosbie gazed directly at the jury. Mr Crosbie is 'seated here because this is the only avenue he has to deny these allegations', he told the jury. 'We don't convict people on 'maybes' or 'what-ifs.' We don't convict people on emotion, and this is going to be an emotional case,' he said. He told the jury they would hear 'how intoxicated' the woman was 'by the time she went back to the hotel room'. He said they would hear how the woman's statements were inconsistent, with her story changing 'as recently as two weeks ago'. The case, Mr Garrity said, 'boils down to the word of one person because Mr O'Brien was asleep and snoring through the alleged assault'. Mr Crosbie attempted to flee the county on an early flight after being questioned by Boston police, but detectives had told him he was a 'free man, you can do whatever you please', his lawyer told the court. Mr Crosbie was unfamiliar with American criminal and judicial customs, he said. This is 'not his world', added Mr Garrity, gesturing around the Boston courtroom. In her testimony to the court, the complainant described the hours prior to the assault and reviewed video taken from The Black Rose, occasionally wiping away tears as she spoke. She said she went with co-workers for drinks and met members of the Dublin Fire Brigade who had flown into Boston to march in the St Patrick's Day parade. The woman identified herself as 'dancing very awkwardly' in the video and trying to get other people at the bar to get up and dance. She described Mr O'Brien as 'about my height, maybe a little bit shorter, bald, white, Irish accent'. Mr O'Brien and his colleagues were wearing T-shirts identifying themselves as members of the Dublin Fire Brigade, she said.. After dancing with Mr O'Brien for about two hours, she said they kissed, he gave her his sweatshirt and they left together. The trial continues in Boston.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
Jury selection begins in rape trial of Irish firefighter Terence Crosbie
latest | Clodagh Meaney Today at 09:45 Jury selection has begun in the rape trial of Irish firefighter Terence Crosbie. It's alleged he raped a woman at a Boston hotel during St Patrick's Day weekend celebrations in the city last year.
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sunday World
Jury selection begins in rape trial of Irish firefighter Terence Crosbie
He is accused of raping a woman as she slept at a hotel in Boston last year Jury selection has begun in the rape trial of Irish firefighter Terence Crosbie. It's alleged he raped a woman at a Boston hotel during St. Patrick's Day weekend celebrations in the city last year. Witnesses from Ireland are expected to be called to give evidence at the trial at Suffolk Superior Court when it gets underway. Opening statements in the trial of the married father are expected to begin within the next week. He's been held at Nashua Street jail in Boston since his arrested last year. The 38-year-old from Dublin was detained at Boston Logan International Airport as he attempted to fly back to Ireland a day early after speaking to cops. A Boston Police Department photo of Terence Crosbie News in 90 Seconds - 6th June 2025 He was charged on March 18 with the alleged rape of a woman at Omni Parker House, on March 14th and pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege he raped the 'female stranger' as she slept during a visit to Boston with members of the Dublin Fire Brigade. The woman (28) said she went to the Black Rose Irish Pub with her co-workers when she met an Irish man and his colleagues. Video allegedly shows the woman leaving the restaurant with the man at around 11.30pm, and returning to the hotel room he was sharing with Crosbie at the hotel. The man and the woman had a 'consensual encounter' before falling asleep in separate beds. She said she awoke to Crosbie on top of her, raping her. Court records state that she demanded he stop, but in response Crosbie allegedly said that he 'knew she wanted it', and called his friend 'pathetic' for falling asleep. The woman left the hotel and messaged a friend to say she had been assaulted. She went to hospital where she spoke to cops and underwent a sexual assault examination. In August, prosecutors requested a DNA swab from Crosbie for comparative testing after a rape kit from the woman found male DNA. Terence Crosbie at a previous court hearing 'A known DNA sample from the defendant will produce evidence relevant to the question of his guilt,' Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy said. According to court documents, Crosbie objected to providing a sample on 'grounds of unreasonable searches and seizures.' In an interview with police, Crosbie denied the rape. He told police he climbed into bed not knowing she was even there, but he heard her gather her clothes and leave the room. His lawyer. Daniel C. Reilly said that his client was 'not concerned about what the DNA is going to return or say,' adding that 'he is adamant that he had no physical contact with her.' At a previous hearing, lawyers representing the Dublin Fire Brigade firefighter said he will 'do everything' to clear his name. 'I can tell you right now, he is going to fight and clear his name and do everything that he can to address these charges and maintain his innocence,' Boston attorney Brad Bailey told Boston 25 News Reporter Bob Ward. 'This is a man, Bob, who has never been in trouble before. Has no prior record, has never been in jail. Here he is, in a jail cell with no ability to make bail, really in a situation that is arguably punitive for somebody who has the presumption of innocence,' Bailey said. Dublin firefighter Terence Crosbie Crosbie was placed on leave by Dublin Fire Brigade. In a statement, his employer said: "Dublin Fire Brigade chief fire officer has been made aware that the Boston Police Department have begun a criminal investigation into an alleged serious case involving a member of Dublin Fire Brigade. "The firefighter has immediately been placed on leave. We cannot comment on the specific circumstances but we would reiterate the high standards that we expect from all who represent our organisation at any event. "As a result, we are conducting an internal investigation and establishing the facts in collaboration with the appropriate authorities and the organisers of the delegation. As this is a criminal investigation, we will not be making any further comment at this time." If you've been effected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 77 8888.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Jury being picked in trial of Dublin firefighter accused of rape in US over St Patrick's weekend
Jury selection has begun in a Boston court in the case against a Dublin firefighter charged with raping a woman in a hotel during St Patrick's Day weekend in 2024. Opening statements are expected on Monday at the Suffolk Superior Courthouse in the trial of Terence Crosbie (38). Mr Crosbie faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty over the alleged assault of a 28-year-old woman in a Boston hotel room. He has pleaded not guilty and denied having 'any sort of sexual contact whatsoever' with the woman, his attorney Daniel C Reilly told the court. READ MORE He is accused of assaulting the woman after his colleague Liam O'Brien met her at a nearby bar and brought her back to the men's shared hotel room. Mr O'Brien is one of more than two dozen witnesses expected to testify, the court heard on Thursday morning. Potential jurors were informed that detectives, crime lab specialists and Boston area residents were also expected to testify, in addition to Aer Lingus staff. Mr Crosbie flew into Boston on Thursday, March 14th, 2024 with his colleagues to take part in the city's St Patrick's Day celebrations. On Thursday, Judge Sarah Ellis asked potential jurors if the defendant's nationality 'or the fact that he speaks with an accent' would make it difficult for them to be fair and impartial. She also asked them about their personal histories with sexual assault, alcohol consumption and other potential biases. US assistant district attorney Erin Murphy previously told the court that the accuser and Mr O'Brien met at The Black Rose, a downtown bar, and left together for the Omni Parker House, a historic hotel in Boston, at about 11.30pm. It is claimed that the complainant then had consensual sex with Mr O'Brien before falling asleep. According to Ms Murphy, Mr Crosbie entered the hotel room at 1.55am and the accuser woke up to find Mr Crosbie 'actively raping her.' The complainant allegedly asked Mr Crosbie to stop and he did not. Instead, he is alleged to have said he 'knew that she wanted this' and that it was 'pathetic' that his colleague was asleep. The complainant reported the alleged assault to police the following morning. After being questioned by Boston police about the alleged assault, Mr Crosbie attempted to leave the country on an early flight home. Mr Crosbie has been held in the Nashua Street jail in Boston since his arrest. His attorney previously claimed he was unable to make bail.
