An appeal by Dublin pirate radio station founder Eamonn Cooke against his conviction and 10-year sentence for sexually assaulting young girls was adjourned yesterday after the Court of Criminal Appeal said it could not hear the case because of an apparent conflict of interest.
Mr Justice McCracken, presiding, said matters had arisen over the weekend that made it clear that the court as then constituted could not hear the case.
The court was told the case would take from three hours to a day and the court adjourned it to the court list on February 2nd when a new hearing date will be fixed. The court also directed the case should receive top priority in that list.
Cooke (66), of Heatherview Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin, and Wheatfield Court, Clondalkin, Dublin, was convicted in December 2002 and sentenced the following March.
The case was heard over 15 days before a judge and jury in the Central Criminal Court.
The jury unanimously convicted him of one charge each of attempted carnal knowledge in relation to two girls, one charge of attempted rape of one of those girls and a further 31 charges of indecent assault on those two girls and another two.
The victims in the case were under 15 at the time of the offences and some were as young as six when the abuse began.
Cooke founded the pirate radio station, Radio Dublin, which was on the air for 10 years.