Eamonn Cooke
{{Short description|Owner of a pirate radio station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{lead too short|date=July 2016}}
"Captain" Eamonn Cooke (died 4 June 2016) was a former owner of pirate radio station Radio Dublin. He was a convicted paedophile,{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dj-put-away-for-10-years-over-abuse-of-girls-in-home-26273302.html|title=DJ put away for 10 years over abuse of girls in home|publisher=Irish Independent|first=Abigail|last=Rieley}} and a suspect in the disappearance of Philip Cairns. He assumed ownership of the station in 1977.
Pirate radio
As owner of Radio Dublin he went by the name "Captain Cooke".{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/cookie-monster-paedophile-dies-while-on-temporary-release-34779329.html|title='Cookie Monster' paedophile dies while on temporary release|publisher=Irish Independent|date=7 Jun 2016|access-date=10 Jun 2016|first=Robin|last=Schiller}} Having first got involved with Radio Dublin in 1973 as an engineer, he assumed ownership of the station in 1977 (which had been operating for over a decade prior under various other owners) title="Radio Radio" author="Peter Mulryan" publisher=Borderline Publications and established {{cite web|url=http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Radio-Dublin-Limited-902106 |title=Radio Dublin Limited |publisher=Solocheck.ie |access-date=2016-07-02}} the operation as a limited company (based in Cardiff).{{cite web|url=http://irishradio.tripod.com/radio_dublin.pdf |title=Radio Dublin Limited Sound Broadcast Licence application |date=1978-05-08 |access-date=2016-07-02}} He continued to operate the station until some months before its closure in 2003. Despite numerous (but highly intermittent) raids by the authorities on the station in which large amounts of equipment were seized he was only successfully prosecuted for broadcasting offences on one occasion title:Captain Cooke -Radio's Most Enduring Pirate source:Short Wave Magazine August 1995 author:Grant Mc Dulling for which he received an IR£35 fine.
Trials
=1952=
An unnamed teenager (probably Cooke) was sentenced to 12 months probation after a bomb attack on a Monument in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.{{cite web|url=https://comeheretome.com/2016/06/15/eamonn-cooke-archive-mentions/ |title=Eamonn Cooke archive mentions – shootings, threats and firebomb attacks |publisher=Come Here To Me! |date=2016-06-15 |access-date=2016-07-02}}
=1957=
=1978=
In March Cooke is convicted in the District Court of a breach of the 1926 Wireless Telegraphy Act following raids on the station January and February of the same year {{cite web|author=Bodger |url=http://www.broadsheet.ie/2016/06/14/philip-cairns-and-a-trail-of-disinformation/ |title=Philip Cairns And A Trail Of Disinformation |publisher=Broadsheet.ie |date=2016-06-14 |access-date=2016-07-02}}
=1986=
=2001=
Cooke was jailed for six months for dangerous driving and 21 days for contempt of court in relation to a car chase in the Dublin mountains.Irish Times Irish Times 13-3-2003
=2003=
His first trial in relation to sex offences was in 2003, where he was convicted of the attempted rape and indecent assault of four girls. This conviction was quashed due to a technicality and he was released in 2006.
=2007=
He was put on trial again in 2007, where two complainants from the previous trial were witnesses. He had threatened and bribed his victims, who nicknamed him "The Cookie Monster". Cooke pleaded not guilty to all 42 charges, which covered dates from the mid to late 1970s. Garda Inspector Gerard Kelly testified that Cooke had eight previous convictions, including one for an arson attack on the home of one of the complainants from the 2003 trial. He was found guilty and sentenced to ten years imprisonment, with prison authorities to take into account 1,300 days he had served due to a previous conviction.
In 2015 he applied for an appeal for his conviction on a point of law but it was denied.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/former-dj-denied-appeal-on-indecent-assault-convictions-1.2299788|title=Former DJ denied appeal on indecent assault convictions|date=28 Jul 2015|access-date=11 Jun 2016|publisher=The Irish Times|first=Aodhan|last=O'Faolain}}
Alleged connection to Philip Cairns disappearance
In May 2016 a woman contacted Gardaí about the disappearance of Philip Cairns which they believed to be credible.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0610/794730-philip-cairns-information/|title=Gardaí believe paedophile may have killed missing schoolboy Philip Cairns|publisher=RTÉ News|date=10 Jun 2016|access-date=10 Jun 2016}} According to her Cooke may have killed Philip Cairns at the studios of his pirate radio station in October 1986. Cooke was questioned by Gardaí and it was reported that he had confirmed some of the claims, but did not disclose the location of Philip's remains. It later emerged that at the time of questioning Cooke had dementia.{{cite news |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/police-fear-note-found-lock-8322759|title=Note found in lock-up of sadistic paedo may be confession to killing schoolboy|first=Emma|last=McMenamy|date=1 July 2016|publisher=Daily Mirror|access-date=4 September 2017}} {{cite web |url=https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057608300|title= Philip Cairns' Murder finally confirmed?|date= 7 August 2009}}
In August 2016 it was announced that DNA samples taken from Philips' schoolbag did not match Cooke, but he had not been ruled out as a suspect.{{cite news |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0804/806905-cairns-disappearance-cooke/|title=No forensics linking Cooke to Philip Cairns|publisher=RTE News|date=4 August 2016|access-date=4 August 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/back-to-square-one-garda-find-no-forensics-linking-eamon-cooke-to-missing-philip-cairns-34938600.html|title='Back to square one' - Gardaí find no forensics linking Eamon Cooke to missing Philip Cairns|publisher=Irish Independent|date=4 August 2016|access-date=4 August 2016}} Gardaí also sought to identify two people who may have left Philips' schoolbag in the laneway.
Death
He died in June 2016.{{cite news |last=McMahon |first=Cathal |date=10 Jun 2016 |title=Gardai believe paedophile DJ Eamon 'Captain' Cooke may have killed schoolboy Philip Cairns |url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/gardai-believe-paedophile-dj-eamon-captain-cooke-may-have-killed-schoolboy-philip-cairns-34790504.html |access-date=10 Jun 2016 |publisher=Irish Independent}} He was granted temporary release from Arbour Hill Prison and had stayed in a hospice due to deteriorating health.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://politico.ie/archive/pirates-rule-airways-how-long 1978 Magill article]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Eamonn}}
Category:20th-century criminals
Category:21st-century criminals
Category:Irish people convicted of child sexual abuse
Category:Irish people who died in prison custody
Category:People convicted of arson
Category:Irish people convicted of assault
Category:People convicted of attempted rape
Category:Irish people convicted of indecent assault
Category:Prisoners and detainees of the Republic of Ireland
Category:Pirate radio personalities