A Garda sergeant has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court for allegedly raping a woman in a Donegal Garda station four years ago after they had been drinking in a local pub.
The 55-year-old accused is pleading not guilty to raping and sexually assaulting the woman on June 21st, 2000.
Ms Deirdre Murphy SC, prosecuting, told the jury the woman was 20 years old at the time and was home on some days' leave from work. Her sister gave her a mobile telephone before she went to the pub at about 6.30 p.m.
Ms Murphy said the young woman drank "quite a lot of pints of Guinness" but there would be evidence from others there that she wasn't drunk.
Counsel said the accused was the sergeant in the local Garda station and the jury would hear he came in to the pub at about 11.00 p.m.
The complainant was friendly with him and his family and at about 1.00 a.m they were the only two people left. Ms Murphy told the jury they left the pub together to see if the accused could get a patrol car to give the woman a lift home. They went to the station but he failed to get a car for her.
There would be evidence that she tried to use her mobile phone and there would be an audio tape of a message left on her brother's answering machine which includes part of the accused's conversation on the station telephone when trying to get a patrol car for the complainant.
Ms Murphy said the woman would claim in evidence that the accused began kissing and fondling her and continued to do so despite her saying "No" more than once. The woman would tell the jury the accused took off her trousers and underwear and had sexual intercourse with her against her. She would say she "froze".
Ms Murphy said the jury would hear they then walked up to the accused's house and that he drove her home.
The woman went to the Derry Wellwoman centre later that day and after that she lodged a formal complaint with the Gardaí in Letterkenny. A Garda investigation began and this included preservation of the scene.
The case is expected to take around four days.