Man paid father 'price of a pint' for sex with daughter, court hears

A Galway man paid £1.50 to the father of a mildly mentally impaired teenage woman to have sexual intercourse with her, Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court heard.

He said the "unfortunate girl" had either been sold by her father for the "price of a pint" or merely "handed over on a plate" to the four men he jailed for their actions.

Mr Justice Carney said the activities would have been lawful if the woman had not had a mental disability which had been described to him a "mild" and he asked if her father was getting away with his actions.

Superintendant Tony Finnerty said the woman had refused to press charges against her father and while the gardai had sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecution, the DPP could go no further with the case.

Sean McGuinness (aged 32) of St. Mary's Road, Galway, was given a four year sentence by Mr Justice Carney who noted his previous conviction for a sexual assault which had attracted a 12 year sentence.

Owen Maughen (aged 30) of Cart na Mara, Portumna, Galway, and Christopher Tully (aged 24) of Musside Mews, Derryaghy, Belfast, were each given three year sentences. All three men had nine months of their sentence suspended.

Peter Murray (aged 23), Ballinderry Park, Mayfield, Cork, was given a two year sentence for attempting to have sexual intercourse with the woman on the same occasion, August 21, 1998.

Supt Finnerty told prosecuting counsel, Ms Pauline Wally BL, the woman was in Galway town with her father on the night of August 20, 1998 when they met Maughan, with whom the woman's father was acquainted.

Maughan told her father he would give him £1.50 if he brought his daughter down to a shed. The father agreed and when they reached the shed, they found the other three defendants.

Supt Finnerty said Maughan then proceeded to have sexual intercourse, vaginal, anal and oral, with the woman while her father was in the shed.

McGuinness and Tully had sexual intercourse of the same nature with her on a piece of waste ground nearby while her father was in the vicinity. All four were arrested at the scene the next day after she took gardai there. They told the gardai the sexual activity was consensual.

Supt Finnerty said the woman sometimes expressed anger and hostility towards the men but at other times would seek reassurance that she was doing the right thing by going to court.

She also said she feared that if she had been a target for these men she would be a target for others.