FF councillor accused of teen sex assault
Thursday November 12 2009
A FORMER Fianna Fail councillor has gone on trial charged with sexually assaulting a teenager at a hotel.
Former chairman of Cavan County Council Anthony Vesey (52) yesterday pleaded not guilty to assaulting a male under the age of 17 at the Malton Hotel in Killarney, Co Kerry, on September 26, 2007.
A conference on vocational education in Ireland was taking place in the hotel at the time, the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee heard yesterday. The alleged victim was working with a contract agency providing staff for the hotel industry, and not a direct employee of the hotel.
Prosecutor Tom Rice said a large number of people had assembled in the hotel where Mr Vesey, of Kilconny, Belturbet, Co Cavan, had a number of political connections.
Judge Carroll Moran ordered that the name of the youth's employer and the identity of the youth himself not be revealed.
But he refused an application by counsel for the defence not to publish the name of the accused, saying: "I have no discretion as regards identity of accused. But I am obliged to make an order in respect of the complainant."
The trial -- before a jury of seven women and five men -- is expected to last three days.
Anthony Vesey was first elected to what became Belturbet Town Council in 1979, and he remains a member of the council. He was elected to Cavan County Council in 1985 and was a member of the county council until last June. He chaired Cavan County Council between 1994 and 95.
- Anne Lucey
Irish Independent
