A Laois man serving a 20-year prison term for sex crimes has been remanded in custody for sentence for raping and sexually assaulting his daughter when she was aged seven to 14 years.
The 47-year-old man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 32 counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault on his daughter from 1993 to 2003.
Some of these offences were committed while he was on bail arising out the charges on which he is serving the 20-year term. He cannot be named to protect the victim's identity.
Mr Justice Paul Carney adjourned sentence so that Michael O'Higgins, defending, (with Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha), can research a referral by the Court of Criminal Appeal to the Supreme Court in relation to imposition of a life sentence in certain cases.
Sgt Gerry Cawley told Isobel Kennedy, prosecuting, that the victim and her mother came to the Garda in October 2003 to lodge her complaint of the 10 years of sexual abuse in their three homes.
He said the victim didn't know it was wrong or how long it continued.
She was 17-years-old the last time her father had sexual intercourse with her in her bed. The abuse ended after her mother stopped working and she was no longer alone with her father in the house. When arrested he made "limited admissions" relating to sexual abuse. Mr Justice Carney directed that he be registered as a sex offender when he pleaded guilty to the current charges in January.
The court heard the man is serving 20 years in consecutive sentences for offences involving three other girls. He was released on bail after being charged with these other offences in 1999 and committed some of the crimes on his daughter while on bail.
Sgt Cawley agreed with Mr O'Higgins that the man's guilty plea in January was a welcome relief to the victim and her mother. He had also sent a written apology to his daughter and directed that €10,000 of his redundancy money was to be paid over to her "no matter what happens to him". His remorse was genuine.
The man was convicted in 2003 of 11 charges of rape and 20 of indecent assault between 1975 and 1984 on three sisters who were aged from four to 14 years. His conviction came following a seven-day trial in which the jury heard he offered the victims crisps as an enticement.
Mr Justice Michael Peart imposed 20 years in consecutive sentences because, he said, he wanted "to ensure that each victim's suffering is considered and punished for individually".
One of the victims, who was raped 10 times, told Mr Justice Peart she had spent six years undergoing psychiatric treatment and had attempted several times to take her own life. She had also undergone 11 years of counselling and medication, and continued to do so, with adverse effect on her children.
Mr Justice Peart noted the man had neither shown remorse nor apologised for his actions and continued to maintain his innocence.