Taxi driver accused of raping woman passenger still in custody

A Dublin taxi driver accused of raping a young woman in the back of his car remains in prison on remand because of difficulties raising bail.

The man in his late 40s, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged last week with raping the passenger, in her early 20s, while bringing her home on August 9th. Following a District Court hearing on August 24th, he was remanded in custody with consent to €2,500 bail with a range of strict conditions.

The case resumed on Wednesday when he appeared at Cloverhill District Court. He has yet to take up bail and appeared via video link. He told the court, “we are trying to put it together; it’s very hard”.

Judge Cephas Power adjourned the case for two weeks.

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At his previous hearing at Dublin District Court, Det Garda Ultan McIlroy said the man “made no reply” to the charge but had earlier claimed he had consensual sex with the woman.

Objecting to bail, the detective referred to the seriousness of the case. He told a contested bail hearing that the accused collected the injured party outside a Dublin city centre venue at about 4am to bring her home.

It was alleged he turned down a male passenger before accepting a fare from the complainant, who sat in the back seat.

The court heard that there was CCTV evidence and he was later “observed driving around aimlessly” in north Co Dublin for about 13 minutes.

Three years until trial

It was alleged he stopped and got into the back seat, and raped the young woman for eight minutes.

The court heard he then drove her home after using his phone to locate the house.

The detective feared the man would interfere with the alleged injured party.

Questioned by defence solicitor Danielle O’Sullivan, Det McIlroy agreed her client would face trial on indictment in the Central Criminal Court and would have to wait two or three years until his trial.

The officer told the court he believed the accused, married with children, was no longer welcome at his home. However, he agreed with the solicitor that he was arrested there.

Bail was set in his bond of €500, but backed by a court-approved €2,000 independent surety, half lodged and the remainder frozen in a bank account.

Once released, he must reside at an address furnished to the court, sign on at a local Garda station three days a week, and obey a 10pm-7am curfew.

Gardaí have seized his cab, and the taxi driver has been ordered to surrender his PSV licence and not to do any taxi work for himself or a third party.