An Irish firefighter named Terence Crosbie has been convicted of a rape charge at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston. The 39-year-old was accused of sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman during the St Patrick’s Day festivities in March 2024. Following over 15 hours of jury deliberation, the verdict was reached, and Crosbie is set to receive his sentence on October 30.

Upon the announcement of the verdict, Crosbie’s relatives and companions, seated in the front row of the courtroom, became emotional, shedding tears and covering their faces with their hands. This emotional scene unfolded after a five-day trial at Suffolk Superior Court, as reported by the Irish Star.

Crosbie was apprehended from an Aer Lingus flight shortly after being questioned by detectives from the Boston Police Department. It was revealed in court that Crosbie had reserved a late-night flight to Dublin after his police interview on March 16, 2024. However, upon arriving at Logan Airport, he discovered an unlisted earlier flight to Dublin at 6:30 pm and made the switch. The court was presented with body camera footage showing Crosbie being escorted off the Aer Lingus flight.

During his time in Boston for the St Patrick’s Day parade with a group of Dublin firefighters, Crosbie’s accuser disclosed meeting Liam O’Brien, Crosbie’s hotel roommate, at the Black Rose pub on the night of the incident. She recounted conversing, dancing, and sharing a kiss with O’Brien before leaving the pub together and returning to the Omni Parker House hotel in Boston. The woman testified that they engaged in sexual intercourse in the hotel room, where no one else was present, before she went to the bathroom.

The victim narrated waking up to find another man with an Irish accent raping her, emphasizing that it was not O’Brien, with whom she had previous consensual relations. She notified her friend and coworker through three text messages after leaving the hotel, expressing distress over the ordeal.

Despite vehemently denying the allegations against him, Crosbie maintained that he did not commit rape. He testified in court that he briefly encountered the complainant without knowing her name and left the hotel room once O’Brien returned with the woman. Video evidence from various locations on the night in question was presented in court to support Crosbie’s account.

DNA experts testified during the trial that none of the samples collected from the victim contained identifiable traces of Crosbie’s DNA. Although two male contributors were identified in the DNA found on the victim, there was no conclusive link to Crosbie. A jury comprising six men and six women ultimately found Crosbie guilty of raping the 29-year-old woman. The sentencing for Crosbie is scheduled for October 30.