A Belfast man who was discharged on medical grounds from the British army has been jailed for six years for having unlawful carnal knowledge of a cousin and sexually assaulting three other cousins.
Judge Dominic Lynch said he had taken into consideration the fact that the man had suffered sexual abuse himself as a teenager.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the youngest of three female victims contemplated suicide when she was 14, four years after the abuse ended.
The abuse ceased in 1988 when their cousin stopped visiting the house. According to victim impact reports, the girls have been totally shattered by the abuse, and all had suffered flashbacks.
The court heard that the man threatened each of his cousins that if she did not conform to his wishes he would abuse the others.
The eldest victim stated that if her partner snuggled up to her in a certain way, that reminded her of what happened and she had traumatic flashbacks. The abuse had also caused tensions and fighting between them.
She said she ate constantly in the hope that if she got fat it would keep the abuser away. The 28-year-old man pleaded guilty to five sample counts from a total of 28 charges of unlawful carnal knowledge and indecent assault of one girl, and indecent assault of two other girls and their brother, on dates unknown between 1984 and 1988.
Insp Eugene Brennan said the man had been in custody since October 24th last, when he was arrested in Derbyshire, England, and extradited to Dublin after a joint investigation by gardai and the Derbyshire Child Protection Unit. He was currently getting a divorce from his second wife due to the offences.
Defence counsel Mr John Peart SC said the defendant was medically discharged from the British army due to blackouts and migraines. He had served for only a short time. Mr Peart said his client had returned voluntarily to Ireland to "face the music" after leaving for England in 1988, and had asked him to make an abject apology to his victims' family.
Judge Dominic Lynch said he realised the condition of the house was overcrowded at the time, but he could not ignore the seriousness of the offences. He recommended that the man receive counselling while in prison.