‘NO PROOF’ OF UK SEX ABUSE CONVICTIONS
THE case against 56-year-old Eric Fletcher of no fixed abode was dismissed at Gorey District Court last week, after the judge ruled he hadn’t been given documentary evidence to prove the defendant had any convictions for sex offences in the UK.
He was before the court charged with failing to notify gardaí of his name and address, as required by the Sex Offenders Act.
Garda Gavin Cahill told the court he got a call on June 4, 2016, from residents in Charlotte Grove, that they had concerns about a man who had been living at 60 Charlotte Grove for a number of weeks. They said they had ‘Googled’ this man, and learned he was wanted in the UK.
They showed the garda the search results, and said he was alone in the house with two small children that belonged to his niece.
Garda Cahill called to the house at 9 p.m. and was met by Raymond Fletcher, brother of the accused, and grandfather of the children. He said he was minding the children.
Garda Cahill said that Eric Fletcher was there while he was talking to Raymond Fletcher, but Eric Fletcher then sneaked out the back of the house and fled the scene.
Members of the public then pointed him out as the garda gave chase. He arrested him at 9.08 p.m. under the Sex Offenders Act and brought him to Gory Garda Station, where he charged him.
Garda Cahill then went on to say he made enquiries with the West Midlands police in the UK.
At this point, barrister Jordan Fletcher (no relation to the defendant), interrupted the evidence to say there was no evidence of truth unless West Midlands police were present to give evidence. He said that what the police told him on the phone was not admissible as evidence.
Inspector Coady said a restricted garda document was available but it could not be disclosed to the defence.
Garda Cahill said he believed the defendant had been living at the address for more then seven days, that he was convicted in the UK with assaults, and charged him with not notifying gardaí of his name and address as required by the Sex Offenders Act.
A copy of an interview he gave gardaí was read into the record. Fletcher denied staying at the house, and said he had arrived that evening to see his niece. He said he didn’t know he was on the register, as his offences were 30 or 40 years ago. He admitted a conviction for indecent assault but said he had done his time for that.
He also said he didn’t know he had been convicted in his absence in the UK. He knew about the first three days of the trial, and admitted fleeing half-way through it.
He said he ran from the house because he assumed the gardaí knew about the trial. When asked where he had been staying, he said he was staying in hostels and sleeping rough.
When asked how did he get money, he said people gave it to him. Asked how a person sleeping rough had a pair of Nike Air Max runners, he said someone gave them to him.
The gardaí asked him how he got to Gorey. ‘I’d rather not say,’ he replied. He denied staying in the house longer than seven days.
Barrister Jordan Fletcher applied for the case to be dismissed as there was no proof before the court his client was convicted of an offence, or the nature of the offence, or if it corresponded to an offence in Ireland.
Judge Haughton dismissed the charge, saying there was no documentation before him to say he had been convicted of an offence.
The defendant remained in custody as another legal matter was pending.