Man who raped sisters gets one year in jail

A CORKMAN who raped his two sisters more than 30 years ago has been given a four-year sentence with three years suspended by Mr Justice Paul Butler at the Central Criminal Court.

The 50-year-old man was found guilty by a jury in March on four counts — one each of rape and of indecent assault of each sister in Co Cork on dates in 1971 and 1972.

He had denied 30 charges at the start of his trial during which Mr Justice Butler withdrew four of them.

The jury spent two successive nights in a hotel but failed to reach verdicts on 22 remaining charges and was discharged by Mr Justice Butler who said he hadn’t ever previously “come across a jury who gave so much attention to a case”.

Sergeant Daniel Murphy told prosecuting counsel, Cormac Quinn BL, that the eldest victim had outlined in her victim impact statement that the abuse “will haunt me until I take my last breath”.

She directed a question to her brother: “Why did you do it?”

The woman said she had tried to behave normally but had been overprotective of her children and on one occasion when her brother visited her home she felt its “sanctity” had been violated.

She said the past 10 years had been the worst of her life wondering who knew about the abuse but she had “wonderful support” from her immediate family and some relatives.

Mr Justice Butler said he remembered the graphic evidence in the trial very well but had to bear in mind that the accused man had been convicted in relation to one “double incident” only.

He said he was taking into account the fact the man was aged 14 at the time of the offence, that he had accepted the jury’s verdict and was not at risk of reoffending.

Sgt Murphy told Mr Quinn the incident occurred on a Saturday while the victims’ parents were shopping.

He said the eldest girl had been asked to go into a bedroom and told to undress, then she was hit and raped.

Sgt Murphy said she was then told to send in her sister who was also raped. Their brother heard a noise which disturbed him and he left the room. He had no previous convictions.

Defence counsel Tim O’Leary SC asked the court to consider a suspended sentence given the length of time that had elapsed, his age at the time, the fact that he accepted the jury verdict and that given his circumstances serving time in prison would be difficult for him.

Mr Justice Butler imposed concurrent sentences totalling four years and suspended the final three years

Mr Justice Butler also directed that his name be added to the register of sex offenders.