A father accused of sexually abusing two of his daughters over several years began giving his evidence in court yesterday. He has denied the charges.
The 49-year-old man from the west of Ireland pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial to 51 charges of rape, unlawful carnal knowledge and indecent assault of his daughters, now aged 29 and 26, on unknown dates between 1978 and 1989.
Following legal discussions in the Central Criminal Court yesterday in the absence of the jury, Mrs Justice McGuinness told the jury that the number of charges had been reduced and it would hear more about this later.
The accused man told his counsel, Mr Patrick McCarthy, he met his wife while working in England.
Mr McCarthy put it to his client that he had a drink problem. The accused replied: "I'm ashamed to say I picked up a bad drink problem in England and since I came back it got worse".
Asked about his daughters' allegations, he replied: "It's totally not true, sir." Asked to comment on a specific allegation made by one daughter, he said: "No sir. I don't agree with that sort of stuff at all."
Earlier the now 26-year-old daughter's estranged husband told the court that the accused had not approached them in a pub to offer a car if the charges were dropped.
The court heard he had originally made a statement to gardai supporting his wife's claim about the alleged bribery attempt by her father.
Under cross-examination he said his wife, from whom is now separated, told him to make the statement backing up her claims. The witness then claimed the accused man had come into the pub and whispered the offer of the car into his ear. His wife would not have heard her father, he said. The witness also said that his wife went to gardai to withdraw her complaint. Later she told him that gardai warned her she would go to jail if she did so.
Recalled to the witness-stand to respond to this claim, she said it was untrue and never happened. The trial continues.