Westmeath man acquitted of charges of raping family members

A Westmeath man has been acquitted at the Central Criminal Court of 10 counts of raping and sexually abusing his two daughters and raping his younger brother-in-law over an eight-year period.

The 44-year-old accused pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial to 35 charges of sexual assault, oral rape, anal rape and rape of his two daughters and younger brother-in-law on dates between December 1, 1991 and June 1999 when the children were aged between five and 15 years.

The jury of seven men and five women returned a verdict of not guilty on day 14 of the trial of one count of rape of his younger brother-in-law, three counts of rape of his eldest daughter and two counts of rape and four counts of sexually assaulting his younger daughter.

The jury, which had deliberated for more than 10 hours, failed to reach a verdict on 18 outstanding charges against the man of sexually abusing his two daughters during the same period.

Mr Justice Daniel Herbert earlier directed the jury that the accused should be found not guilty by direction of the trial judge on two charges of anal rape of the boy, one charge each of rape and oral rape of one daughter, and three counts of sexual assault of the same daughter.

Mr Justice Herbert thanked the jury for its attention.

During the trial the man told defence counsel, Mr Conor Devally SC (with Mr Ronan Munro BL), that he had never removed his children's clothes, touched their private parts or showed them his penis, saying: "I never interfered with any of my daughters or any child in my life."

He agreed with prosecution counsel, Mr Alexander Owens SC (with Mr Garnet Orange BL) that he and his ex-wife had a violent relationship but denied his children lived in fear of him or that he beat them, saying: "I admit I hit them slaps but I never hit my children with a belt or a poker."

The accused man's now 22-year-old year old daughter told Mr Alexander Owens SC (with Mr Garnet Orange BL), prosecuting, claimed that her father raped and sexually abused her from the time she was five years old.