
US government asks court to detain George Gibney until Irish extradition case is concluded
George Gibney
, was facing such serious criminal charges in
Ireland
he had an incentive to flee if granted bail and should remain in custody pending his extradition, the
United States
attorney for the Middle District of Florida has said.
In a submission to the United States district court in Orlando, Gregory W Kehoe has urged the court to deny Gibney (77) access to bail as 'he cannot meet his burden of showing that he poses no risk of flight or danger to the community'.
Gibney (77) was arrested in Florida on Tuesday on foot of an extradition request from Ireland, where he is facing 78 charges or indecent assault, and one charge of attempted rape. The alleged victims were aged between eight and 14 or 15 years when they say they were abused by Gibney, who was their swimming coach in South Dublin at different times between 1971 and 1981.
'Gibney is a flight risk and a danger to the community,' said the legal submission, obtained by The Irish Times, seeking his remand in custody in Florida until the extradition request has been full disposed of. 'As an initial matter, Gibney is alleged to have sexually assaulted at least four minor girls, abusing his authority as their swimming coach, over a period of several years. The seriousness of the offences for which Gibney is charged in Ireland heightens his risk of flight.'
READ MORE
George Gibney: why did it take decades for the alleged sexual abuser to face new charges?
Listen |
19:02
George Gibney was arrested on Tuesday in Florida after a Garda request was made to the US State Department to extradite him to Ireland to face charges relating to alleged historical child sex abuse.The 77-year-old former swim coach, who avoided trial on sexual abuse charges in 1994 after successfully challenging his prosecution in the High Court, is now accused of 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape relating to four girls; and the alleged attempted rape of one of the girls.All four were minors, aged between eight and 15, and were coached by Gibney.They made complaints to the Garda between 2020 and 2022 after the BBC and Second Captains podcast Where is George Gibney? was aired in 2020.But why did it take over 30 years for Gibney to face fresh charges - and what happens next?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains the background.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon
It said, in the case of elderly suspects facing extradition, their advanced years carries an additional incentive to flee in a bid to avoid justice. 'This is particularly true given that Gibney is more than 70 years old and thus faces the real prospect of spending the remainder of his life in jail,' the submission said.
It said the circumstances of Gibney previously avoiding going on trial in the Republic – in the 1990s – should also be taken into consideration and, it said, adds to the case for his being denied bail.
'In relocating to the United States after the first set of allegations was dismissed, Gibney was able to evade the investigation of these allegations in Ireland,' Mr Kehoe's submission states.' Accordingly, allowance of bail in any amount would not guarantee the fugitive's presence in court and would invite the possibility of embarrassing the United States in the conduct of its foreign affairs.
[
Why has it taken so long to arrest George Gibney in the US to enable extradition?
Opens in new window
]
'Either Gibney's danger to the community or flight risk would be enough, standing alone, for the court to deny any forthcoming application for bail.'
In 1993 Gibney appeared before the courts in Dublin charged with 27 sexual crimes. However, he took a High Court challenge to his prosecution and was successful. The court effectively ruled, in 1994, the allegations were too old, and many details too vague, to warrant a prosecution.
Gibney left Ireland, settling in the US in 1995, and remained there for the past 30 years, residing in Florida in recent years. However, between 2020 and 2022 the BBC published a podcast, Where is George Gibney? It prompted the four women now accusing him to come forward and give statements to the Garda.
A fresh criminal investigation was launched, with the DPP directing in May, 2023, he should face 79 charges. Last October the Irish embassy in Washington formally made a request to the US authorities to arrest Gibney for the purpose of extraditing to the Republic to stand trial. He was detained by US marshals in Florida on Tuesday and remains in custody there.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
FAI seek to postpone Wednesday's Oireachtas committee hearing
The Football Association of Ireland have requested a four-week deferment of their scheduled appearance before the Oireachtas sport committee. Senior members of the Association are due in Leinster House on Wednesday but have sought more time due to 'the complexity introduced by the committee seeking material that relates directly to an ongoing Garda investigation'. The FAI also requested that the 'scope of the session is clearly defined'. The Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media has been approached for a response. READ MORE [ FAI board holds unscheduled board meeting after standoff with Oireachtas sport committee Opens in new window ] The ongoing Garda investigation relates to allegations against former male coaches of inappropriate relationships with female players and unwanted sexual advances dating back to the 1990s. The allegations were first made public last year by a joint project by RTÉ Investigates and the Sunday Independent. Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating at least one complaint concerning the matter. The former coaches have denied any wrongdoing. The FAI board held an unscheduled meeting on Friday before seeking the four-week postponement from the Oireachtas committee on Monday morning. 'When the formal invite was received on Friday 27th June the committee requested a broad range of documents, many that relate specifically to an ongoing Garda investigation,' a statement from the FAI read. 'Given the complexities involved in collating and considering our ability to comply with this request and to enable adequate preparation time we have sought a deferral of four weeks. Any disclosure must also be assessed carefully for legal and GDPR compliance given the sensitive and confidential nature of safeguarding information requested. 'Over the intervening period we will continue to liaise with the committee to ensure the scope of the session is clearly defined to ensure that no parties could inadvertently compromise an ongoing investigation. 'We fully respect the important work of the joint committee and acknowledge the critical oversight role it plays in relation to legislation, policy, governance, expenditure and administration of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. The FAI is fully committed to engaging constructively with the Committee on this matter and we look forward to them defining a revised date where this session can proceed.' Speaking under Dáil privilege last month, Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O'Sullivan said the FAI knew of the allegations in 2023, 'despite the FAI stating publicly that it only learned of these allegations in early 2024'. Mr O'Sullivan said he had seen correspondence dating to May 4th, 2023, which laid this out in 'black and white'. Minister of State for Sport Charlie McConalogue subsequently stated his department and Sport Ireland believe the FAI had engaged appropriately with the allegations, and that once it received a formal complaint in January 2024 it acted swiftly and contacted Gardaí. Despite requesting the four-week postponement, the FAI has accepted the invitation to appear before the Oireachtas sport committee on Wednesday.


Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Personal injury award levels fell by 45% to about €150m last year, Courts Service says
The level of personal injury awards across the courts almost halved last year to about €150 million, according to the Courts Service's annual report. It also notes that new High Court planning cases more than doubled and some 25,000 applications concerning protection from domestic violence were filed. After new laws providing for restraining/antistalking orders came into operation last September, more than 300 applications were received by the end of the year, it shows. Published on Monday, the annual report for 2024 shows personal injury awards levels reduced by 45 per cent compared to 2023. The number of new cases, at almost 13,000, was down by about 445 on 2023, but 41 per cent down on the almost 22,000 cases lodged in 2019. READ MORE Awards by the High Court, including in medical-negligence cases, fell from €256 million in 2023 to €135 million last year. Circuit Court awards, capped at €60,000, dropped from €16 million to less than €13 million, and District Court awards fell from €2.2 million to €1.5 million. The 'most noteworthy' trend in personal injuries in the High Court was, according to the report, the reduced impact of the judicially approved personal injuries guidelines which became operational in April 2021. While it states the guidelines have not resulted in major increases in personal injuries applications to the District and Circuit Court, the Injuries Resolution Board has noted more cases are coming before and are being finalised by the board. New cases coming into the High Court's specialised planning and environment list increased to 241 from 108 in 2023. The number of cases finalised was 253, up from 129 in 2023. The Central Criminal Court imposed 434 prison sentences for rape/attempted rape with 62 per cent of sentences exceeding 10 years. The total included nine life sentences, 261 terms of more than 10 years, 106 of between five and 10 years and 54 of between two and five years. Among 531 other prison sentences for other sexual offences, there were 109 partly suspended prison sentences, 14 fully suspended and four detention orders for juveniles. The District Courts received 25,270 new applications for protection under domestic violence law, a drop of more than 700 on the 2023 figure but 23 per cent higher than in 2019. In the first four months of a new law providing for restraining or antistalking orders coming into operation, 314 applications for such orders were received by the District Courts, with 133 full and 107 interim restraining orders granted. Supreme Court judge Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne, chair of the Courts Service board, and its chief executive Angela Denning addressed a launch event at Green Street courthouse in Dublin on Monday about the report. The report was presented to the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, at the event. It notes continued progress in the service's modernisation programme, such as 165 technologically-enabled courtrooms and improved information for court users. The report reveals continuing delays in some courts lists, including the Central Criminal Court. While cases on hand there fell 16 per cent last year, they remain 35 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels and the volume of new cases was 40 per cent higher in 2024. The appointment of additional judges has seen the case-disposal rate increase by 73 per cent over 2019 figures, the report noted. A 45 per cent rise over two years in applications for supervision and care orders for children is reported with 21,684 new applications last year, up from 17,583 in 2023. The figures include multiple applications and orders. Other trends include a 16.5 per cent reduction in drugs cases in the District Court over six years while larceny/fraud/robbery cases show a 15.3 per cent increase year on year and public order and assault cases an increase of almost 10 per cent year on year. About 184,000 new road traffic offences came before the District Courts last year, an increase of more than 8 per cent year on year but marking an overall 18 per cent reduction over six years. There were 5,004 divorce applications last year, down from 5,218 in 2023 and 5,551 in 2022. The report shows last year was another busy period for the courts, with more than 574,000 civil and criminal cases and appeals incoming, the vast bulk coming before the District Courts. More than 390,158 criminal matters and appeals were incoming while new civil case numbers across all courts increased to 184,000, reflecting a continuing trend with case numbers now 31 per cent above the 2021 level. New possession cases regarding property rose to 1,135 from 1,091 in 2023, but the number of possession orders granted by the Circuit Court fell to 141 from 212 in 2023. There were 22,584 new debt-recovery cases, marking a 31 per cent increase over two years. Sixty new cases sought forfeiture of property alleged to represent proceeds of crime, up from 43 in 2023. There were 89 company wind-up applications, up from 44 in 2023, with more than one in three presented by Revenue.


Extra.ie
5 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Carey preyed on cancer patient like ‘Talented Mr Ripley'
A woman dealing with rare blood cancer was 'preyed' upon by former All-Star Kilkenny hurler and five-time All-Ireland champion DJ Carey, who claimed he was battling with the same condition. Speaking exclusively to the Kilkenny mum revealed that she and her husband blew the whistle to the gardaí on Carey and how he had scammed the public out of hundreds of thousands. Last week, the 54-year-old father of two pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Court to ten separate charges of defrauding people by inducing them to give him money he said he needed for medical bills by pretending he had cancer. DJ Carey. Pic: ©Fran Veale There were initially 21 charges against him, and 30 witnesses were due to give evidence about how they were defrauded over an eight-year period between 2014 and 2022, with billionaire businessman Denis O'Brien among them. Speaking anonymously, the cancer patient's husband revealed the bombshell moment they realised they were not the only ones conned by Carey. It was while watching an RTÉ documentary about the former hurler's convicted fraudster sister, former international hockey player Catriona, that they realised others could be swindled unless they did something. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin The patient's husband revealed: 'There was a Prime Time programme about Catriona Carey on TV, and his MO [modus operandi] seemed to be the same. 'He was so good. You're talking [about] The Talented Mr Ripley here. He was juggling balls and living up a lot. It was a calculated approach. He was so good in his grooming. He was brilliant. It was the work of an artist, and he was consistent to the end. 'When we saw the programme on the telly we said, 'this has to stop' and we came forward to stop it. We took our responsibilities seriously. And it has stopped. 'People giving him money, these were acts of kindness and decency, and it wasn't reciprocated. We didn't come forward ultimately to see him punished or put behind bars. This had nothing to do with retribution.' Carey replied 'guilty' to all ten charges last week and was remanded on continuing bail for a sentencing hearing on October 29. Carey's barrister requested legal aid to cover a psychological report that may be necessary, saying there were 'certain mental health issues'. Judge Ryan granted the application. Carey was not required to address the court again and left shortly after