A Dublin firefighter, Terence Crosbie, 37, was arrested for allegedly raping a woman in a hotel in Boston during St Patrick’s Day weekend. Crosbie’s case is to be transferred to a higher court. He has remained in the same attire in which he was arrested- a grey t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and trainers, since his arrest two months ago.
Crosbie had travelled to Boston alongside his colleagues from the Dublin Fire Brigade on March 14th for the St Patrick’s Day festivities. The next morning, the alleged victim reported the assault to police from a Boston hospital.
Crosbie’s lawyer, Daniel Reilly, previously asked for extra evidence from the Black Rose bar and the Omni Parker House hotel where Crosbie and the 28-year-old female plaintiff had visited prior to and during the attack. Earlier this month, the accusation resisted the defense’s plea for more surveillance video and employee information from both venues, claiming that details relevant to times when neither Crosbie nor the plaintiff were present were not applicable. However, the judge presiding over the case, Judge Joseph M Griffin, agreed with the defense and arranged for a follow-up records hearing.
Judge James W Coffey upheld the decision in a hearing on Thursday morning. However Assistant District Attorney Christopher Boutin pointed out amendments to the defence’s request that were previously agreed upon.
Reilly confirmed that the defence had already alerted the record holders. A status hearing was then scheduled for Boston’s Municipal Courthouse on June 20th to address any possible legal issues that remained.
Judge Coffey indicated that after an indictment and arraignment, proceedings would be completed at the municipal courthouse and Crosbie’s case would be transferred to the Suffolk Superior Courthouse. Boutin noted that Crosbie’s case was anticipated to be indicted at least on that day. Indictment procedures usually occur behind closed doors in front of a grand jury.
A probable cause hearing had been arranged for June 3rd. Crosbie’s passport was confiscated following his arrest, and he continues to be detained on a bail of $100,000. He was observed in the courtroom, shackled and maintaining his focus on the judge until a court officer escorted him out.
At this point, it remains uncertain whether Crosbie’s colleagues from Dublin’s Fire Brigade, who accompanied him to Boston, would have any involvement in the ongoing criminal proceedings.