Irish firefighter charged with Boston rape set for Supreme Court trial

A Dublin firefighter charged with the rape of a woman in Boston in March is set to face trial in the Massachusetts Supreme Court. 

Terence Crosbie, 37, was charged on March 18 with the alleged rape of a 28-year-old woman at the Omni Parker House hotel on March 15. Dublin Fire Brigade has placed Crosbie on leave since the charges emerged. 

Crosbie, who denies all allegations and says that he never said a word to the woman, was remanded into custody after re-appearing at Boston Municipal Court on Wednesday for a hearing. 

At the hearing, his attorney Daniel Reilly requested additional records from Omni Parker House and the Black Rose pub in Downtown Boston, the two locations that Crosbie visited on the night of the alleged attack. 

Reilly said his team has received some CCTV footage from the pub and hotel but added that they are seeking a more detailed window of video surveillance from both establishments. They are also seeking additional information from employees at the hotel. 

"CCTV footage from bars and hotels tends to be written over after 30 days," Reilly told the court on Wednesday. "We want to make sure we get to that before it might disappear before memories might fade, in case it shows anything that is exculpatory or might serve as alter impeachment evidence." 

The prosecution argued that the request for employee information was too vague, not specific, and irrelevant. 

They further claimed that the Boston Police Department had adequately collected records during the investigation and suggested that the defense should subpoena those police records. 

The judge informed the court that Reilly should obtain the records relating to Crosbie's actions and those he interacted with on the night in question. He also said it is understandable that the defense may want to obtain records themselves and "not rely solely on the Commonwealth". 

Reilly said Crosbie maintains his innocence and added that the trial is likely to take place at the Massachusetts Supreme Court. 

Crosbie is being held on $100,000 bail and has been ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Massachusetts. 

At a previous hearing in April, lawyers representing Crosbie said the Dublin firefighter will do "everything" to clear his name. 

His attorney Brad Bailey told Boston 25 News Reporter Bob Ward that Crosbie maintains his innocence and has never been in trouble before. 

"This is a man, Bob, who has never been in trouble before. Has no prior record, has never been in jail. Here he is, in a jail cell with no ability to make bail, really in a situation that is arguably punitive for somebody who has the presumption of innocence," Bailey told Ward last month. 

In a police report, the woman told police that the incident occurred at the Black Rose Irish pub, where she met a man from Ireland. 

The woman told police that the pair went back to his room at the Omni Parker House, where they had consensual sex before falling asleep in separate beds. 

She alleged that she woke the following day to another man sexually assaulting her, later identifying Crosbie. 

The woman quoted Crosbie as saying "I know you want this, he (the other man) fell asleep". 

Crosbie and the other man were both visiting Boston for St. Patrick's Day and were sharing a hotel room. 

In an interview with police on March 16, Crosbie said he never said a word to the woman and got into bed without knowing she was there. 

Crosbie later booked a flight to Ireland for 10.10 p.m. on March 16 following the interview with the police, three days earlier than his previously scheduled flight. 

He subsequently boarded an earlier flight, departing Boston's Logan International Airport at 7 p.m. However, Massachusetts State Police stopped the plane before it departed and removed Crosbie from the aircraft. 

Reilly told reporters that his client attempted to return to Ireland because he was "scared". 

"I think he was scared and didn’t have anywhere to turn. So where does one go when one is worried and scared? One goes home," Reilly said. 

"The consulate was not open on the weekend. So I think that was probably what was going through his mind."