Judgment reserved in rape appeal case

THE COURT of Criminal Appeal (CCA) has reserved judgment on an appeal by a Dublin man against his conviction and life sentence for the rape of his then partner’s teenage daughter.

Christopher Griffin (38), of Ridgewood Green, Swords, Dublin, formerly of Canon Lillis Avenue, in Dublin’s north inner city, is appealing against his conviction of one count of oral rape of the girl (then in her teens) in 1998, one count of rape in 2001 and nine counts of indecent assault on dates from 1993 to 1998. Griffin had denied all the charges.

After being convicted in April 2007, he was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Paul Justice Carney.

The girl, now in her early 20s, consented to Griffin’s name being used by the media.

His appeal concluded yesterday and the CCA, with Ms Justice Fidelma Macken presiding, and sitting with Mr Justice Eamon de Valera and Mr Justice Paul Gilligan, reserved judgment.

Michael O’Higgins SC, for Griffin, has argued the conviction is unsafe and should be quashed on grounds including the non-availability of an important witness.

Counsel also submitted that prejudicial media coverage linking gangland shootings to the trial, the acceptance of a security report by Mr Justice Carney and the decision to hold the trial at Cloverhill courthouse, described by counsel as a “prison campus” with airport-type security, also added to the unfairness of the trial.

Opposing the appeal, Deirdre Murphy SC, for the DPP, rejected those arguments and denied Mr Justice Carney had erred by not adjourning the trial because an important prosecution witness, the girl’s mother, was said to be medically unfit to give evidence.

Counsel said the trial judge was correct in ruling that granting an adjournment would effectively amount to giving Griffin “immunity” from prosecution.

The unanimous verdict by the jury in this case was safe, she said.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times