A man has been cleared by a jury on all charges of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in the late 1990s.
The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury took just under six hours to return its final not guilty verdicts on the Longford sports coach (43), a married man. It was day nine of the trial.
The jury first acquitted him late on the eighth day of the trial on one charge of sexually assaulting the now 24-year-old woman in a hotel in Munster where she was staying with him and his wife on the occasion of a sporting event, before being sent to a hotel overnight.
The jury resumed deliberations yesterday morning at 10am and first returned one further not guilty verdict and finally the remaining two acquittals just after lunchtime.
Judge Desmond Hogan told the six men and six women that they had given "the most diligent care and attention" to the case.
"Emotions run high in these types of cases and make them very difficult, but I have been able to conclude from observing the manner in which you took notes, the questions you asked, and the time you have taken in deliberations that you have given great care in reaching your decisions," Judge Hogan said.
He discharged the accused who had denied four charges that he sexually assaulted the girl at various locations from late 1998 to April 5th, 1999.
She was a pupil at a Longford secondary school where she participated in a sport coached by him.