Peter Mulryan

rte.ie forward slash pirate predator is from someone who appears to have been close to the situation.

Local social workers suspected Cook was monitoring their office phones because he always seemed to know their movements.

Around this time, his behavior was also becoming increasingly unstable.

On one particular occasion, Cook led Gardie on a high-speed car chase through Dublin.

It was during the summer of 2002 that pre-trial motions began to take place in Cook's case.

And it was then that one of the seven victims backed out.

The male victim.

But just as the trial was due to start, Detective Inspector Gerry Kelly hit a speed bump.

All set to go.

Everybody full steam ahead until he came up with this thing on the morning of the trial.

As these six victims were abused by Cook some 15 to 20 years earlier, Cook and his legal team now questioned their delay in bringing forward allegations, successfully arguing that the trial could only proceed if they could prove they lived under Cook's fear and domination.

This is Mary, not a real name.

We heard from her in an earlier episode.

She was one of the six victims who agreed to go to trial and who, in the wake of her abuse, had developed OCD.

Mary found the questioning by the court-appointed clinical psychologist very, very difficult.

And the judge ruled that two of the victims, in his opinion, were not in fear of Cooke

And the result of that was that the crimes committed against them never got to trial and they were dismissed.

Mary's fear of Eamon Cook remains visceral to this day.

And not being given a chance at justice still haunts her and triggers childhood memories.

The court also ruled that Clare, the mother of Cook's first child, whom we heard from earlier, failed to prove she also lived in fear of him.