Latest news with #DublinFireBrigade
Sunday World
11 hours ago
- Sunday World
Almost €10k raised for Dublin Jiu Jitsu club destroyed by ‘shocking' arson attack
The club are fighting on despite losing their gym Almost €10k has been raised for a Dublin Jiu-Jitsu club destroyed in an arson attack. Republic of Jiu-Jitsu on Townsend Street was burned down in the early hours of Tuesday morning in 'a shocking act of arson.' Now, the owners are fighting back as they hope to rebuild the club stronger than ever. 'Late on Monday night, our jiu-jitsu academy — Republic of Jiu Jitsu — was completely destroyed in a shocking act of arson,' Coach Abnel shared on the GoFundMe page. 'Thankfully, the fire happened outside of business hours and no one was injured, but the damage to our gym was total. 'The mats, the gear, the kids' belts and medals, all completely destroyed. 'Even the walls, changing rooms and showers were completely wrecked,' he continued. The coach said that they are 'heartbroken, but not beaten.' 'Our club has always been more than just a place to train. It's a second home for kids after school, a place of confidence and discipline for teens, and a supportive environment for adults of all ages. 'This gym helped people through depression, addiction, bullying, burnout — and built a community of friendship, respect, and resilience. That can't be burned down,' he added. The coach said that despite the setback, they're currently training at a temporary location several times a week. We're already back on the mats… but starting from scratch is hard. 'We've lost tens of thousands of euros worth of mats, equipment, and fittings.' The club have asked for the public's help to restore the gym – not just as a physical space, but as the community hub it is for so many. 'Every donation, share, and message of support is helping us to rebuild, recover, and return stronger than ever.' So far, 127 donors have raised €9,521 of a €60K target. Images of the blaze shared by Dublin Fire Brigade show plumes of smoke coming from the building. Image: Dublin Fire Brigade News in 90 Seconds - June 19th 'Seven fire engines were called to a building fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning,' DFB said on social media. 'Firefighters from Tara Street fire station were first on scene and found the ground floor well alight. 'Three breathing apparatus teams located and extinguished the fire.'
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Jury to resume deliberations on Friday in case of Irish firefighter accused of rape
The 38-year-old is accused of raping a woman at a hotel in Boston last year The jury in the trial of Irish firefighter Terence Crosbie who is accused of rape are set to continue their deliberations on Friday. The trial concluded on Monday morning, with the jury so far spending 15 hours deliberating their verdict at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston. The panel requested to hear a portion of the Dubliner's interview with police; however, the judge denied it as the specific section they sought was not entered into evidence, the Boston Globe reports. Terence Crosbie in court News in 90 Seconds - June 19th Terence Crosbie (38) is accused of raping a woman at the Omni Parker House in Boston while visiting the city for St Patrick's Day weekend celebrations in 2024. The alleged incident happened on the night of March 14th, the day he arrived in the United States. He was due to be in the Boston parade with members of the Dublin Fire Brigade on March 17th, 2024. The Dubliner pleaded not guilty and has been held at Nashua Street jail in Boston since his arrest last year after he attempted to get on an earlier flight back to Ireland on March 15th. The trial began last week. Mr Crosbie's wife has supported him and is present at the trial. On Monday, closing statements were made with defense attorney Daniel C. Reilly telling jurors they should acquit Crosbie and argued there was not enough evidence to link Crosbie to the alleged rape. 'I'm going to ask you to end that nightmare and find him not guilty,' he said. 'The Commonwealth has not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Crosbie committed the crime he is accused of.' Meanwhile, Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy asked: 'If she was so drunk, or so mixed up, or if she was making up a story, then how did she have so much right?' 'It's a misnomer to say the DNA was inconclusive. What is conclusive is there were two distinct male profiles. 'There's no mystery man here, there's no phantom rapist who slipped off into the night. Terrence Crosbie is guilty.' Last week, Crosbie took the stand on Friday to adamantly deny raping the woman in the hotel room he was sharing with fellow firefighter Liam O'Brien. 'I've done nothing wrong,' Crosbie told the court, adding, '100 per cent I didn't do this. I had no physical or verbal contact with her at all.' Terence Crosbie in court Liam O'Brien met the woman at the Black Rose pub and could be seen spending time with her there on CCTV footage. At one stage Crosbie can be seen sat talking to a blonde woman, who is not his wife, on CCTV which was shown to the court. The footage also showed that the pair shared a kiss. Mr O'Brien later took the woman he met at the pub back to the hotel room that he shared with Crosbie. According to the Defence team, Mr Crosbie returned home before the female and his co-worker Liam O'Brien, with whom she had 'consensual sex'. Mr Crosbie is believed to have left hotel room 610 at 11:55 pm that night, according to hotel security video and sat outside on a chair. He swiped his key card back into the room at 1:55 am. The door then opened from the inside at 2.15 am when the woman left. The woman alleged that she fell asleep in Crosbie's bed and awoke to Crosbie on top of her, raping her. Detective Joseph McDonough, who investigated the case in March 2024 also took to the stand last week. The court heard how Mr Crosbie was interviewed shortly after the incident by Boston Police Detective Joseph McDonough in a private bar of the hotel. The clip was played to the court 'The Dubliner we started in, Emmett's Bar, Beantown Pub. I think we were in a fourth bar. We were in the Black Rose as well, we walked down there last,' Crosbie was heard explaining in the taped interview. When asked if he ate and who he went out with, he said: 'I had a burger and chips in The Dubliner. Me, Liam, Jack, Larry.' He also explained that ten people came over in total because they were 'marching in the parade on Sunday.' Dublin Fire Brigade had rented five rooms in total in the Omni Parker House, with two officers in each room. When asked what he did at the Black Rose, Mr Crosbie replied: 'Drink.' Terence Crosbie in court Speaking about what happened after he returned to his room, Mr Crosbie said: 'I came back here, I went up to the room, yeah, I did leave the room. Liam came back, he picked up a girl at the bar. I just left. 'I came back later. I sat on the chair beside the elevators on my floor. I was there for a couple of hours. I just went straight to my bed. 'She got up out of bed, started looking around in the dark. I didn't speak to her.' When asked if she was crying when she left, he said: 'I don't know, she didn't show that she was crying.' Asked if he had any interaction with the girl, Mr Crosbie said: 'None, said hello, said goodbye.' The detective asked if the girl had slept in his bed, to which he said: 'Not to the best of my knowledge.' Detective McDonough can also be heard in the taped interview asking Mr Crosbie: 'Any point did you have sex with her?' The Dublin firefighter then replies, 'No.' The police detective then asked if he would be 'surprised? If she said otherwise?' Crosbie answered, '100 percent.' During cross-examination, Detective McDonough was asked to confirm that the woman 'didn't run, didn't ask for help or have any signs of stress,' on CCTV as she left the building after the alleged incident. The detective agreed that she did not. Defence attorneys have told jurors Crosbie did not rape the woman and that his DNA was not found on her. Dr Lyndsey Walsh, a resident in emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital took to the stand and spoke about the female's arrival to the hospital on March 15, 2024 at 3.05 am where she showed up with a 'small tear to the vagina without bleeding.' Dr Walsh explained that the female was 'medically cleared,' meaning that there were no concerns for life-threatening injuries. The court heard there was no DNA evidence linking Crosbie to sexually assaulting the woman. Dr Christopher Rosenbaum, who works in the Massachusetts General Hospital in the Emergency Department, explained that in Massachusetts, the legal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit is 0.08pc and when the female presented to the emergency department she had a level of 0.135pc at 6am, which is 1.7 times over the legal limit. The woman said at the time of examination, she would have three drinks a week but had a history of binge drinking, but said she was no longer drinking in that way. Dr Rosenbaum highlighted that the female's level of alcohol would've been higher four hours before the samples were taken from her. A 'reasonable assumption would be between 0.150pc to 0.250pc, twice, three times beyond the legal limit,' he said.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Fundraiser launched for martial arts school 'destroyed' in apparent arson attack
The local community has rallied around a martial arts school in Dublin city centre which was destroyed in apparent arson attack. The incident happened at the Republic of Jiu Jitsu premises on Townsend Street in Dublin 2 in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Gardaí, along with other emergency services, were dispatched to the scene after authorities received a report of a firebomb attack on a building in the area. Firefighters from Tara Street fire station quickly brought the blaze under control and made the area safe. Thankfully, no injuries were reported following the incident, however, the jiu-jitsu academy "was completely destroyed" in the blaze, according to a statement shared by the owners on Instagram. The team at Republic of Jiu Jitsu thanked Dublin Fire Brigade, "whose quick and professional response ensured the fire was contained and did not spread to the apartments above. Their swift action prevented what could have been a far more serious tragedy." Locals have now come to together to support the jiu-jitsu academy after the owners launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds to help them "rebuild, recover, and return stronger than ever". "Late on Monday night, our jiu-jitsu academy — Republic of Jiu Jitsu — was completely destroyed in a shocking act of arson," a message shared on the fundraising page states. "Thankfully, the fire happened outside of business hours and no one was injured, but the damage to our gym was total. The mats, the gear, the kids' belts and medals, all completely destroyed. Even the walls, changing rooms and showers were completely wrecked. "We are heartbroken, but not beaten. Our club has always been more than just a place to train. It's a second home for kids after school, a place of confidence and discipline for teens, and a supportive environment for adults of all ages. "This gym helped people through depression, addiction, bullying, burnout — and built a community of friendship, respect, and resilience. "That can't be burned down." The owners added: "We're already back on the mats — training out of a temporary location several times per week, while we make plans to rebuild. But starting from scratch is hard. We've lost tens of thousands of euros worth of mats, equipment, and fittings. "We're asking for your help to bring our gym back — not just the physical space, but the community hub it was for so many. "Every donation, share, and message of support is helping us to rebuild, recover, and return stronger than ever. From the bottom of our hearts — thank you." Those who wish to support the fundraising campaign can visit the GoFundMe page here. Gardaí have confirmed that no arrests have been made yet in connection with the incident, but that investigations are ongoing. A Garda spokesperson told the Irish Mirror: "Gardaí attended the scene following report of an incident of criminal damage by fire at a premises on Townsend Street, Dublin 2, that occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 17 June 2025. "Fire services extinguished the fire and made the area safe. No injuries were reported at the time. There have been no arrests at this time. Investigations are ongoing."
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Jury deliberations set to resume in trial of Irish firefighter charged with rape
Delivering his closing argument, defense attorney Daniel C. Reilly told jurors an acquittal would end the 'nightmare' that has taken over Crosbie's life. Advertisement Reilly urged jurors find Crosbie not guilty. 'I'm going to ask you to end that nightmare and find him not guilty,' he said. Reilly argued there is not enough evidence to link Crosbie to the alleged rape, in part, because the woman never identified Crosbie's multiple arm tattoos in the aftermath of March 14, 2024 incident. 'The Commonwealth has not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Crosbie committed the crime he is accused of,' Reilly told jurors. Speaking after the defense, Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy insisted the evidence supports a guilty verdict in the case. In his closing, Reilly said the woman was too drunk to be a reliable narrator of her version of what happened inside the hotel room. Advertisement Murphy told jurors in her closing that while the woman had consumed alcohol, she was able to provide a detailed description of the incident to Boston police and medical staff hours later. 'If she was so drunk, or so mixed up, or if she was making up a story, then how did she have so much right?' Murphy asked jurors. Additionally, evidence and records from the night of March 14, 2024 connect the defendant to the hotel room where the woman alleges she was assaulted, the prosecutor told jurors. Murphy also reminded the jury that there were two male DNA profiles found in a genital swab from the woman. 'It's a misnomer to say the DNA was inconclusive. What is conclusive is there were two distinct male profiles,' Murphy said. 'There's no mystery man here, there's no phantom rapist who slipped off into the night,' Murphy continued. 'Terrence Crosbie is guilty.' Crosbie for the St. Patrick's Day parade with fellow members of the Dublin Fire Brigade and checked into the Omni Parker House on March 14, 2024. On Friday, he took the witness stand and testified he was sharing the hotel room with fellow firefighter Liam O'Brien. Crosbie said he was in the hotel room when O'Brien returned with a woman he met at The Black Rose bar. Crosbie said he left the room, went down the hall, and sat in a chair for roughly two hours. He said he then returned to the room and found his bed still made, with the towel he'd thrown on the bed earlier still there. Advertisement He testified that he undressed down to his boxers and got into bed. He said he had been in his bed for just over a minute when he heard the woman get out of O'Brien's bed and enter the bathroom. She came out, he said, rummaged around for her belongings, and left. 'I had no physical or verbal contact with her at all,' Crosbie said. Reilly directly asked Crosbie whether he committed the crime he is charged with. 'Did you rape' the woman?, Reilly asked. 'I did not,' Crosbie replied. During the trial last week, the woman testified that after a night of socializing in Boston during which she consumed alcohol, she went to the hotel with O'Brien, where they had consensual sex. The woman said she did not know anyone else was staying in the room. She testified that she fell asleep in a second bed in the room and was sexually assaulted by Crosbie when he later climbed into the bed. 'I woke up, and a guy was inside of me,' the woman testified earlier this week, tears streaming down her face as she read a text message she sent to a friend at 2:18 a.m., shortly after the alleged attack. On the witness stand last Tuesday, the woman described waking up to someone raping her. 'What are you doing? Stop!' the woman told police she said to the man, according to a police report. After the alleged assault, she said Crosbie followed her around the hotel room, trying to kiss her and pushed her against the wall as she gathered her clothes to leave. The woman, who is an attorney, said she left the room within 10 minutes of waking up. Advertisement When the woman was shown photos of the hotel room in court, as well as security images of herself leaving the room, she began to cry. The woman said she messaged a friend at 2:18 a.m. to say she had been assaulted. She went home and changed her clothes before going to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she spoke with police. Rebecca Boissaye, a criminalist at the Boston Police Crime Lab since 2009, testified last week that she performed the initial DNA testing on samples from the woman's evidence collection kit, taken hours after the alleged assault. Boissaye said she did two rounds of testing, one in March 2024 and the second in October. On cross-examination, defense attorney Patrick Garrity asked multiple times if it was correct that Crosbie's DNA was not found in the woman's swabs. 'In the profiles detected, he was not included,' Boissaye responded. Murphy asked why skin cells might not be detected during testing. 'We don't always have enough DNA' to detect the skin cells a person may have left behind, Boissaye said. Testifying for the defense, Alexis DeCesaris, a DNA analyst at Bode Technology, said DNA from two males was found in the woman's genital swab, but the amount was too small to compare to a person's genetic profile. Information from earlier Globe reporting was used in this account. John R. Ellement contributed to this report. Claire Thornton can be reached at
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
Apparent arson attack destroys martial arts centre on Dublin's Townsend Street
An apparent arson attack destroyed a martial arts centre on Townsend Street, in Dublin 2, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The Republic of Jiu Jitsu premises, located on the ground floor of the Hyde Court apartments building on the corner of Townsend Street and Shaw Street, was extensively damaged in the blaze, which broke out shortly before 1am. Miriam Aguilar said she was asleep in the first floor apartment directly above the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu studio when she was awoken by oppressive heat. She opened the window and was immediately enveloped in dense black smoke. Ms Aguilar said the episode was extremely frightening, not least as she is expecting a baby in five months time. READ MORE Ms Aguilar told The Irish Times she woke her partner and they immediately left the apartment they bought just one month ago. Ms Aguilar and her partner joined their neighbours and guests of the Travelodge hotel, located opposite, on the road outside as the fire brigade arrived. 'We were told by people outside that someone had gone into (Republic of) Jiu Jitsu from the side entrance and thrown something, before the flames broke out. I think they threw something again and ran away up the street,' she said. Investigators at the fire damaged Republic of Jiu Jitsu studio. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien Members of Dublin Fire Brigade quickly brought the blaze under control. The premises looked extensively burnt out on Tuesday morning with glass surrounds on balconies on the first floor apartments heavily blackened. Abnel Rodrigues, owner and head coach at Republic of Jiu Jitsu, said he had 'no clue' how or why the fire started. He said he awaiting the results of the Garda investigation, but hopes to to reopen. Mr Rodrigues said he came from Brazil in 2008 to realise his ambition to open his own martial arts academy. He said Republic of Jiu Jitsu trained both hobbyists and competitors in the sport. The centre caters for children from five years upwards as well as adults. There are five floors of apartments directly above the premises. Mr Rodrigues said he had 'no clue who had done such a thing'. The fire damaged premises, above which apartments are located, was cordoned off on Tuesday morning. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien An Garda Síochána said in a statement: 'Gardaí attended the scene following report of an incident of criminal damage by fire at a premises on Townsend Street, Dublin 2, that occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, June 17th, 2025. 'Fire services extinguished the fire and made the area safe. No injuries were reported at the time. There have been no arrests at this time. Investigations are ongoing.'
