Mother tried to kill daughter three times, accused man claims

A man accused of more than 100 counts of rape and sexual assault against his daughter told gardaí that the mother of the complainant tried to kill her child on at least three occasions, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Garda Blaithin Dunne agreed with Mr Vincent Heneghan BL, prosecuting, that during an interview with gardaí the man alleged that he returned home from work on one occasion to find the apartment which he shared with his then partner and their daughter on fire.

The man alleged that his partner stood inside the apartment and laughed down at him from an open window as smoke billowed from the building.

He alleged that the woman had shut her two children, including the now 21-year-old complainant, in their rooms and instructed them not to come out.

The man said that he “could not believe his eyes” and that he it was at that point that he realised the mother of his daughter was “touched in the head”.

On other occasions the man alleged he discovered his former partner with a pillow over his daughter’s head, attempting to smother her and pushing her head under water attempting to drown her.

He said that he could not recall exact dates for the alleged incidents as he had continuing difficulty in understanding dates and times.

The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to multiple rape and sexual assault charges at various addresses on dates between July 1996 and March 2006.

He further pleaded not guilty to four counts of assaulting the girl causing her harm by striking her with a knife, striking her with a hatchet, by burning a cigarette into her back, and kicking her on dates between August 2003 and April 2004.

He also denied two counts of intentionally or recklessly causing the girl serious harm by smashing an ashtray and forcing her to kneel on broken glass and by scalding her with water from a kettle on dates between August 2003 and April 2004.

He further denied two counts of making threats to kill or cause serious harm to the girl on dates between November 2006 and September 2007.

The man told gardaí in his statement that he believed the allegations against him were at made at the behest of the girl’s mother.

Asked as to why his daughter would detail such a catalogue of abuse against her supposed loving father the man replied that his former partner was trying to “get him in as much shit as possible”.

Garda Dunne agreed with Mr Heneghan that the man denied in his garda interview that he grabbed a kettle of boiling water and threw it at the complainant causing a cut to her head and scalding her upper body after she forgot to buy mushrooms while grocery shopping.

He told gardaií that his daughter and her younger sister were “acting the goat” in the kitchen when the youngest ran into her older sister, who had the kettle in her hand, causing it to spill onto herself.

The man told gardaí that he did not seek medical attention for his daughter’s injuries until four days later as she was “adamant” that she did not want to go to a doctor as she was too embarrassed.

The man also denied causing the girl serious harm by smashing an ashtray and forcing her to kneel on broken glass. He told gardaí that the injuries to the complainant’s knees were the result of falls she had taken when riding her bike and when running on a wall.

The man accepted in his interview that he had a bit of a temper but said denied using corporal punishment to discipline the children in his custody.

The trial continues before Justice Barry White and a jury of 11 men.