Jury begins deliberations in trial of taxi driver accused of raping two women – The Irish Times

The jury in the trial of a taxi driver accused of raping two young women on separate days in 2022 has begun deliberations.

The 50-year-old Dublin man has pleaded not guilty to the rape and anal rape of a woman in June 2022. He also denied raping another woman the following month.

On Thursday, Judge Paul McDermott concluded his hearing before the jury at the Central Criminal Court before asking the 12 jurors to retire to the jury room to consider their verdicts.

Judge McDermott told them that each count had to be considered separately and that they would have to be satisfied that the charges had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order to convict the man on any of the three counts.

The prosecution is of the opinion that the two young women found themselves in a taxi after a sociable night in Dublin city centre and were raped by the accused.

The man, whose name cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, denies the allegations and claims that all sexual contact between him and the women was consensual.

The process continues.