Jury in trial of taxi driver accused of raping two women begins deliberations
Accused claims the second victim asked “is this off the bill?” while they were having sex in his taxi
The jury in the trial of a taxi driver accused of raping two young women on separate dates in 2022 have begun their deliberations.
The 50-year-old Dublin man has pleaded not guilty to the rape and anal rape of one woman in June 2022. He has further denied the rape of another woman in August 2022.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott finished charging the jury at the Central Criminal Court before inviting the 12 jurors to retire to the jury room to consider their verdicts.
Mr Justice McDermott told them each count must be treated separately, and they must be satisfied that the prosecution case has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order to convict the man on any of the three counts.
It is the State's case that each young woman found themselves in a taxi after a night out socialising in Dublin city centre and that each was raped by the accused.
The man, who can't be named for legal reasons, denies the allegations and claims that any sexual contact between him and each woman was consensual.
He claims the second victim asked him “was this off the bill” while they were having sex in his taxi.
The trial continues.