Wife 'petrified' of incest accused, but still loves him

A woman whose husband is accused of sexually assaulting their two daughters has told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court she still loves him despite being "petrified of him".

The 36-year-old man who is originally from Co Clare has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of sexual assault on the girls, who are aged eight and nine, on dates between September 2001 and December 2004 in a Co Offaly town.

His wife told defence counsel, Mr John Phelan SC, that both she and her children were petrified of her husband but that they loved him. When asked by counsel if she still loved him, she replied: "Yes."

Earlier, she told prosecuting counsel, Ms Úna Ní Raifeartaigh BL, that she first went to gardaí after one of her daughters told her that her father "pretended to put cream on my bottom" but had hurt her, saying: "She said: 'Mammy, he really hurt me'."

She explained that she then went to the Garda station two days later to make a report.

Ms Ní Raifeartaigh told the jury in opening the case that a medical examination was performed on the children and gardaí took bedclothes from the house for forensic analysis.

The trial continues before Judge Desmond Hogan with a jury of five women and seven men.