Corkman jailed for raping sisters

A Corkman who raped his two sisters over 30 years ago has been given a four-year sentence 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 County 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 - one each of rape and of indecent assault of both women - from the jury and directed "not guilty" verdicts be returned on them. They failed to reach verdicts on 22 remaining charges and were discharged.

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

He said he was taking into account the fact the accused was aged 14 years old at the time of the offence, that he had accepted the jury's verdict and was not at risk of re-offending.

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

Garda Daniel Murphy told prosecuting counsel, Mr Cormac Quinn BL (with Mr Niall Durnin SC), that the accused had no previous convictions and had never come to garda attention before.