Terence Crosbie is accused of raping a woman at a hotel last March.
The Dubliner is accused of one count of rape at the Omni Parker Hotel on the night of March 14th 2024.
The prosecution alleges that Crosbie raped the then 28-year-old woman in his hotel room after she had consensual sex with his roommate.
Taking to the witness stand during his retrial at Suffolk Superior Court, Crosbie told the court he “absolutely did not” rape the alleged victim, The Boston Globe reports.
Terence Crosbie in court
News in 90 Seconds, Wednesday, October 22
His defence attorney, Daniel C. Reilly asked him almost 10 times whether he touched the woman, had sex with her or if the woman was ever in his bed.
He responded “no” to each question.
During cross-examination, Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy asked him why he boarded a flight to Dublin hours after being questioned by police, despite telling them he wasn’t due to return home.
Crosbie said that because of the “nature of the allegations”, he was “like a rabbit in the headlights,” adding that he “packed a bag and went to the airport” after he suspected police had searched his hotel room.
Murphy told the court that on March 16th 2024, when questioned by officers in the lobby of his hotel, he asked about the allegations against him, even though they didnt disclose any details about the nature of the complaint.
He asked cops: “Can you explain what that means in terms of the law? Did someone pin her down on the bed and have sex with her?”
After the prosecution rested its case, the defence filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that his guilt wasn’t proved beyond a reasonable doubt. However, Justice Joshua I Wall denied it.
Closing arguments in the case are due to be heard today.
Defence counsel for the accused, Patrick Garrity, previously told the court that there was not enough evidence to link an unidentified male DNA profile from the alleged victim’s genitals to Crosbie.
The evidence, which was collected when the woman presented at the hospital in the hours after the alleged rape, showed there was DNA from two separate male contributors.
Neither profile could be conclusively linked to Crosbie.
“Not once did they find a trace of identifiable DNA,” Mr Garrity told jurors.
“Please listen to the evidence before you jump to a conclusion,” he added.
Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Daniela Mendes, previously recounted to the court that Crosbie visited Boston alongside the Dublin Fire Brigade to take part in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday, March 17th 2024.
“He used his trip as a way to be anonymous, far from home, and commit a rape he could get away with,” she told the jury.
She said that after having consensual sex with another man, the alleged victim fell asleep in a second bed in the hotel room, but awoke to find Crosbie “inside her.”
Terence Crosbie in court in Boston.
She said that CCTV footage and key card evidence will show that, other than the alleged victim and the other man, Crosbie was the only other person to enter the room.
“He used his trip as a way to be anonymous, far from home, and commit a rape he could get away with,” Mendes said.
She told jurors that evidence will show Crosbie made a decision that night to harm the woman: “In that hotel room, opportunity met intent.”
The court heard that after being questioned by police on March 16th, Crosbie bought a plane ticket to return to Dublin, despite telling detectives he wasn’t due to return to Ireland until 3 days later with the rest of his colleagues from Dublin Fire Brigade.
Crosbie boarded the flight; however, Suffolk authorities grounded the plane as it was preparing for takeoff.
This is the second time Crosbie has been tried on the charge.
The first trial, which was held in June, was declared a mistrial by Judge Sarah Ellis after the jury failed to reach a verdict.
Jurors spent four days deliberating following five days of testimony.
Afterwards, the judge declared him a flight risk and increased his bail from $10,000 to $50,000 cash.
Crosbie has remained in police custody in Boston since his arrest last year.