Pirate Predator: 07 - Endgame

This was the case of my career because it took 10 years from start to finish.

This is Detective Inspector Gerry Kelly.

He's the officer who led the investigation into Cooke's abuse.

But nobody had any idea of how complex it was all going to turn out.

That's for certain.

Throughout those first months of his investigation in the year 2000, Gerry knew he needed more victims to come forward to ensure Cooke would face trial.

Siobhan was certainly very front and center in this investigation, as was Anne, but Siobhan was providing different details, bits and pieces, names and addresses, and people maybe we should contact.

So Gerry began to build a wider case, but many of Cooke's victims were scared.

We interviewed several people.

There was a number of boys who were interviewed.

I remember even interviewing another female victim.

These offenses had taken place 15, 20 years earlier.

The fear that was in them was palpable.

Initially, there were seven victims, including Siobhan and Anne, who agreed to give statements, enough to bring Cooke in for questioning in February 2000.

We subsequently arrested him one early morning.

I remember a nice, bright spring morning.

Once he was interviewed, he was released pending a file to the DPP.

Over the next two years, as he awaited trial, Cooke spiraled out of control.

His third wife continued to give birth to more of his children as Gerry Kelly and the other Gardai continued to work closely with local social services.

They had visited Cooke house at several times.

He intimidated them, and his master trick was to write to the Minister for Social Welfare.

He would also write long letters to the Minister for Justice.

These would be foolscap pages, probably nine or 10 neatly handwritten pages, and he would weave lies and truth.

By the summer of 2000, Eamon Cooke was charged with multiple counts of buggery, indecent assault, and unlawful carnal knowledge.

In total, over 120 sex abuse charges, all against children.