Woman denies man found dead tied up in her bed

A Limerick woman, who claims she was raped in 1999, has denied at the Central Criminal Court that a man she socialised with was…

A Limerick woman, who claims she was raped in 1999, has denied at the Central Criminal Court that a man she socialised with was found dead while tied up in bed with her in her home.

She agreed with defence counsel John Phelan SC that the man was someone she used to socialise with and accepted she had tied him up, but said it was just for fun with no sex involved.

The woman, who was under cross-examination by Mr Phelan in the trial of a 42-year-old man charged with raping her, rejected counsel's suggestion that a man died in her bed and said he died in Limerick Regional Hospital after choking on his own vomit.

She challenged Mr Phelan "to produce evidence" that the man died in her home and said medical records could confirm he died in hospital.

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The accused denies four charges of rape, oral rape, anal rape and assault causing harm to her in a Dún Laoghaire hostel on March 13th, 1999.

Forensic scientist Dr Louise McKenna told Marie Torrens (with Mr Phelan), defending, that she found no semen or serious damage on the complainant's clothing and found only a small sample of blood.

Dr Mary Holohan agreed with Mr Phelan that she observed nothing to suggest any attempt at strangulation as claimed by the woman.

There were also "reasonable alternatives" to the claims made by the woman about bruising and abrasions on her body.

Dr Holohan agreed she found it difficult to get "a history" of the alleged attacks from the woman.

Victoria Lusty, of Co Antrim, told Edward Comyn SC, prosecuting, she was resident in the hostel with other members of a hockey tour group on March 13th, 1999, when the complainant and a man she believed was the manager came into her room.

The woman was crying. She smelt alcohol off the woman.

The hearing continues.