The former Fianna Fáil chairman of Cavan County Council today changed his plea to a charge of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in a hotel bedroom in Killarney two years ago.
Anthony Vesey (52) of Kilconny, Belturbet, Co Cavan yesterday pleaded not guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee to the charge of sexual assault of a male under the age of 17 in the Malton Hotel, Killarney on September 26th, 2007.
The court heard the assault took place during a major education conference at the former Killarney Great Southern Hotel.
A jury of seven women and five men had been sworn in and the trial was scheduled to open fully today and take at least three days.
However, senior defence counsel David Sutton told Judge Carroll Moran this morning his client wished to change his plea.
The judge adjourned the matter for sentencing to January 18th.
Judge Moran ordered reporting restrictions so as the identity of the accused be protected in accordance with the law. However he rejected an appeal by defence junior counsel Mark Nichols to prohibit the publication of the name of the accused.
Mr Vesey was first elected to what became Belturbet Town Council in 1979, and subsequently to Cavan County Council in 1985. He was a member of the county council until last June and a member of a number of regional and tourism bodies.
He resigned from the Fianna Fáil party on October 4th, 2007 once the sexual assault allegation came to light, saying he was doing so without prejudice. He topped the poll in the June 2009 Belturbet Town Council elections, running as an independent.