Case of Filipino man accused of sex attack on child in Ballymena to be expedited

During a brief mention of the case against Garry Luna, his defence counsel confirmed that as the alleged victim is 13-year-old, “the case should be marked as a purple file.”

“That means that on the next date, we should hopefully have a better update and know where the where the case is at,” he told Deputy District Judge John Rea.

Luna, 36, from Clarence Street in Ballymena, is in custody charged with five offences, alleged to have been committed against two teenage girls, between “an unknown date in March” and 24 May this year.

The defendant faces charges of sexual communication, common assault, inciting a child aged 13-16 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and further that he “facilitated or arranged for something to be done” which would involve sexual activity with a child.

A second Filipino national, 38-year-old Crisos Sonet, also from Clarence Street, is in custody accused of a single count of rape.

An earlier court heard that according to the police case, the charges “stemmed from a report from the complainant that she had been seriously sexually assaulted on 24 May.”

During an unsuccessful application for bail, a police officer told the court the alleged victim had provided an account that “she had been with a friend when they met the defendant and he took both girls” to his home on Clarence Street.

“The complainant stated that both girls had been communicating with him by Facebook messenger for a number of weeks prior to this,” said the detective.

At Luna’s home, he allegedly “took them into the living room of the property” where he tried to kiss her and was “nipping her on the leg.”

“Grabbing her by the arm,” Luna is alleged to have led the girl upstairs and into a bedroom where Sonet was “sitting on the bed.”

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The teenager has reported to police that Sonet subjected her to a “serious sexual assault,” the court heard.

When the alleged victim got out of the room and went downstairs, she “heard her friend shouting from one of the bedrooms” and after she helped her open the door, both girls left the property.

In court today a prosecuting lawyer said given the fact “it’s quite serious and it is at an early stage,” she was applying for a four week adjournment.

Sonet is due to appear next week and the PPS lawyer said the intention is to adjourn his case to to same date to keep the cases together.

Judge Rea granted the application and remanding Luna back into custody, he adjourned the case to 14 August.