A story caught our eye this week regarding a pensioner accused of historic sexual abuse, demanding to take a lie detector test in Northern Ireland.
Many police forces across the UK carry out polygraph tests in cases such as suspected paedophilia and sexual abuse. The tests help them to ascertain whether a suspect is lying through physiological responses to structured questions. Together with other evidence compiled, the results give the police an edge when deciding to charge a suspect or not. However, in Northern Ireland the police service doesn’t offer or use them.
The accused man can’t be named because by doing so it would identify his alleged victims who are all female members of his family.
Indecent assault and gross indecency with a minor
Dungannon Crown Court is hearing the case where the 80 year old accused has been charged with 22 offences. These have allegedly spanned a period of 12 years and include gross indecency and inciting gross indecency with a minor, and indecent assault.
Whilst accepting the seriousness of the charges, the pensioner has described them as “dangerous, terrible lies”. He says that they have been brought about because of a dispute over property. The court was told that he had demanded a lie detector test.
The time period in which the alleged crimes took place was between March 1984 and April 1996.  The alleged victims claim they were between 8 and 10 when the abuse began. The accused has denied all of the charges.
According to the prosecution, the defendant and his wife visited the alleged victims’ home regularly. Whilst the wife remained downstairs in conversation with other members of the family, the accused would go upstairs where the children’s bedrooms were.
Among the allegations made were that he had grabbed, tickled and messed about with the children, touched them intimately and kissed their faces. It is also alleged that he pressed them against a wall and lay on top of them.
Unusual request for lie detector test in Northern Ireland
In closing, the prosecution read transcripts of the defendant’s interview with the police when he vehemently denied all charges and stated they were “a tissue of lies”. He admitted that he was both angry and shocked, repeating his denial of any wrongdoing. Whilst acknowledging that results of lie detectors in Northern Ireland are not admissible in court, the accused said he would demand one.
The police stated under cross examination from the defence that the defendant had cooperated with them fully, answering all questions and presenting voluntarily at the interview. He also had no criminal convictions of any type.
The defence also made the point that it’s unusual for people to ask for a lie detector test in Northern Ireland.
The defence will now present its case. We watch with interest. You can read more about this story in the Belfast Telegraph
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