A retired man was remanded in custody until the new year on charges of rape and sexual assault of children when he appeared at Galway District Court yesterday.
The court was told a book of evidence was not yet complete. The defendant (60) was arrested in September and has been in custody since. The man faces 36 charges involving four children, including 12 counts of raping one girl and 11 of sexually assaulting her on dates unknown between May 1994 and August 1996.
He is also charged with five counts each of rape and sexual assault of a young boy between July 1994 and January 1996, with raping and sexually assaulting another boy on a date unknown last year, and with sexually assaulting another girl on a date unknown.
Insp Pat Forde, prosecuting, said that a book of evidence would be completed in time for the first sitting of the court after Christmas.
Mr Chris Horrigan, defending, said the same promise had been made previously. His client had been in custody for some time without any chance of bail at this time.
Judge John Garavan noted that there had been an indication that the book of evidence would be ready for yesterday's hearing. The defendant was remanded in custody until January 8th.