Retrial for father found guilty of sexually assaulting daughter on Christmas Day

The man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, went on trial at Cork Circuit Court in May last year. Picture: iStock

A father who was found guilty of sexually assaulting his 19-year-old daughter on Christmas morning in 2017 has had his conviction overturned on appeal.

The man's barrister, Sean Guerin SC, had argued before the Court of Appeal that the trial judge had erred in refusing to permit the defence to cross-examine the complainant in respect of the contents of a diary found in her room, in which the words "Hate Dad" were written, in order to show "pre-existing malice".