Former football star denies raping daughter

A former top-flight professional footballer has denied in evidence he committed more than 80 acts of rape and sexual assault on his 16-year year old daughter.

The man, who previously played for a top English team, has pleaded not guilty to counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault on dates between 2003 and 2006 in the family homes in Galway and Roscommon.

Giving evidence in his own defence at the Central Criminal Court, the accused said he previously admitted the allegations to the complainant's mother and gardaí because he didn't want his daughter to "get into trouble for making false allegations".

He agreed with defence counsel, Mr Martin Giblin SC, that when confronted by the girl's mother about the allegations, he told her: "OK, if you say I did that, then that's what I did."

He told Mr Giblin that when the girl's mother asked him if he used a condom, he "might have replied" that he hadn't but he wasn't sure if he had and if he had also added that he was "careful".

He agreed he had asked her not to tell gardaí until he could talk to her again about the matter.

He said he had only said these things to calm the girl's mother down because she was being highly aggressive and had punched him "two or three times".

He told Mr Giblin: "Throughout my football years I've learned the best thing to do is to calm the situation down, so that's what I did."

He denied that he told the woman: "I need to see a doctor to find out what's wrong with me."

He agreed with Mr Giblin that he also admitted the offences when interviewed by gardaí but that this was because he didn't want to get his daughter "into trouble for making false allegations".

He agreed he said to gardaí, regarding the allegations: "If she said so, I agree. I don't see any future for me and I don't want her to suffer anymore."

Asked by the gardaí how she was suffering he said: "If she has all that rubbish in her head she must be suffering."

He told Mr Giblin he gave gardaí the answers he thought would keep his daughter out of trouble and that he believed she "would tell the truth eventually".

The accused denied a suggestion in cross-examination by prosecuting counsel, Ms Isobel Kennedy SC, that he threatened to take the girl's mobile phone from her unless she engaged in sexual acts with him.

Evidence has finished after five days and the jury of eight men and four women are expected to begin its deliberations after hearing closing arguments from counsel and a summary by Mr Justice Peter Charleton.