A man accused of sexually assaulting four girls while working in a creche told a colleague he was “devastated” after the allegations were made against him, his trial has heard.
The 29-year-old man cried in court on Friday when his former colleague gave evidence saying he looked “very upset” and had become “very skinny” in the years since she last saw him.
The female witness also became upset as she told the the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial that the man was generous with the children and came up with activities that other staff members did not think of doing.
“We all had great fun,” she said.
The woman worked closely with the man and was friendly with him but has not been in contact with him since he was charged, the court heard.
She said she last contacted him shortly after the allegations emerged, sending him a text saying she hoped he was okay.
His reply stated: “I’m devastated”.
The man has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of sexually assaulting four girls at a Leinster creche on dates between February 2015 and December 2016, when they were aged between five and eight years. The offences are alleged to have taken place at various locations in the creche and on the creche bus.
The witness told Seán Guerin SC, defending, that she worked in the room next door to the man’s after school room, that the door was open all day and that she and the man tended to sit close to each other’s doors.
Interaction
She said she “never” had any suspicions about the man. She said the four complainants “wouldn’t have much interaction with him”, particularly the two younger complainants, as they would have spent very little time under his care.
The woman told the court that from her room, she was able to see the book corner in the man’s room. Some of the offences are alleged to have taken place in the book corner.
Under further questioning from Orla Crowe SC, prosecuting, the woman agreed that she could not see all of the book corner.
She said she did not think the creche was an easy place for the man to work as it could be quite “sexist”. She said he would be asked to do things like fix broken lights even though he had no electrical experience.
She said he did not feel comfortable changing the nappies of the younger children who were occasionally under his care, and the court heard there was an “unspoken arrangement” that he did not do nappy changes.
Four of the man’s other former colleagues also evidence with most of them recalling being shocked and surprised upon learning of the allegations.
One supervisor in the creche said she always found the accused to be a “gentleman” and that the children and parents were all “very fond of him”.
Another supervisor told the defence that she once overheard the man telling the creche manager he was not comfortable doing the crehe bus runs on his own.
One woman said the man was “brilliant” with the kids, while another former colleague said the after-school group had a “good relationship” with him.
The trial continues on Monday.