Man gets three years for sexually assaulting daughters over 10 years

A north county Dublin man who sexually assaulted two of his daughters over a period of ten years has been jailed for three years by the Central Criminal Court.

The 62-year-old man pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault against one daughter on dates in 1985, 1988 and 1993 and also to one charge, on a separate indictment, of the indecent assault of another daughter in 1983.

He waited until the first daughter had given evidence in a trial earlier this year before entering the pleas. He had originally denied 26 charges of sexually assaulting and raping that daughter on dates between 1985 and 1994. A 'nolle prosequi' was entered on the counts to which he did not plead guilty.

Mr Justice Paul Butler said this was a "very, very serious case" and that the defendant seemed to be in denial about what he had done. He said the evidence in the case had been "compelling" and that a guilty plea had come as conviction was "staring him in the face".

He said the case was the "worst kind of sexual assault short of rape I have come across recently". He directed that the man be registered as a sex offender.

Sergeant Denis Murphy told prosecuting counsel, Patrick McCarthy SC, that one of the victims was five years old when the abuse began.

The defendant would call her in to his bedroom and where he would assault her.

On Sunday mornings when her mother was out of the house, her father would show her pornographic videos in his bedroom.

Defence counsel , Gerry O’Brien SC, read a letter from the defendant in which he said he was very sorry for the distress and injury he had caused and said he was ashamed of his past behaviour.

The two daughters gave victim impact evidence, one telling the court that she had tried to end her life on three occasions.

The other daughter said she was subjected to one "horrific incident" and said "you never had to touch me again, the threat was always there. I grew up long before I should have".

Both daughters and Mr Justice Butler commended the gardaí involved in the case for the way they had handled the complaints.