Trial of Dublin firefighter accused of raping woman while in Boston for St Patrick's Day begins

Sarah Slater

The trial of a Dublin firefighter charged with raping an American woman in the US during St Patrick’s Day celebrations has gotten underway.

Terence Crosbie, 38, from Dublin, was in the Suffolk County Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, on Monday for the start of his criminal trial.

A of 15 jurors was sworn in, and the trial began before presiding judge Sarah Weyland Ellis.

Crosbie has pleaded not guilty after being charged in March last with raping a woman at the Omni Parker House, a hotel in downtown Boston.

He was visiting the city with Dublin Fire Brigade for St Patrick's Day celebrations.

Prosecution counsel assistant district attorney Erin Murphy said that on Friday morning, March 15th, Boston police interviewed a 28-year-old woman at Massachusetts General Hospital who informed them she had been sexually assaulted at the Omni Parker House earlier that morning.

Detectives secured video surveillance from the hotel and from The Black Rose, a bar and restaurant in Boston, where both Crosbie and the victim were on Thursday evening.

Police learned that Crosbie had flown to Boston from Ireland earlier on March 14th with colleagues, and that he was scheduled to leave the following Tuesday, March 18th.

Crosbie was sharing a hotel room with a fellow firefighter, whom the victim said she had consensual sex with before they fell asleep in separate beds.

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

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

After being interviewed by police on the Saturday, Crosbie booked a flight for 10.10pm that night, days before his scheduled departure date. At the airport, Crosbie boarded an even earlier flight, departing at around 7pm. However, State police stopped the plane on the Logan Airport tarmac and removed Crosbie.

When the charges were announced, District Attorney Kevin Hayden commended the victim for coming forward.

His office also noted at the time: "All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Crosbie entered his not guilty plea on June 5th last year and a cash bail was initially set at $100,000, but that was reduced last August to $10,000 following a request from Crosbie's lawyer.

The Dublin man has remained in prison since.

Last year in a statement Dublin Fire Brigade said: "Dublin Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer has been made aware that the Boston Police Department have begun a criminal investigation into an alleged serious case involving a member of Dublin Fire Brigade.

"The firefighter has immediately been placed on leave.

"We cannot comment on the specific circumstances, but we would reiterate the high standards that we expect from all who represent our organisation at any event.

"As a result, we are conducting an internal investigation and establishing the facts in collaboration with the appropriate authorities and the organisers of the delegation.

"As this is a criminal investigation, we will not be making any further comment at this time.”

Court records show that in July 2024, prosecutors filed a motion requesting a DNA sample from Crosbie.

The Boston Globe reported that, according to court documents filed by the Suffolk District Attorney’s office, a genital swab from the victim revealed male DNA.

Crosbie initially objected to giving a sample, though the judge approved the prosecutor's request, and Crosbie gave an oral sample in August.

As the trial began on Monday, the Boston Globe noted that the status of the DNA testing "wasn’t immediately clear".

The trial is set to continue this week in Boston.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.