NORTHERN IRELAND
ITV News
June 11, 2018
By Paul Higgins
A paedophile former priest has appeared in court accused of historical sex abuse.
Standing in the dock of Downpatrick Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 68-year-old Daniel John Curran confirmed his name and that he was aware of the charge against him.
Curran, from Bryansford Avenue in Newcastle, is accused of indecently assaulting a male on a date unknown between 16 August 1989 and 18 August 1991.
None of the evidence surrounding the 30-year-old charges was opened in court in the short Preliminary Enquiry, the legal step necessary to move a case to the higher Crown Court, but a prosecuting lawyer submitted that the crown papers and witness statements formed the basis of a Prima Facie case against the former Catholic priest.
The court clerk told Curran that although not obliged to, he had the right to comment on the charge, five evidence to the PE or call witnesses on his behalf but that anyone giving evidence was liable to cross examination.
Curran declined the opportunity however, telling the court clerk simply “no” to each of the questions.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.