A convicted armed robber who raped his partner's teenage daughter after she returned home from The Vatican disco in Dublin has been jailed for life by Mr Justice Paul Carney.
Christopher Griffin (37), Ridgewood Green, Swords, Dublin, and formerly of Canon Lillis Avenue, in the north inner city, was found guilty by a jury on January 18th last on 11 counts of rape and sexual assault.
The jury at the Central Criminal Court returned unanimous verdicts on all the charges following just under five hours deliberations on day 10 of the trial.
Griffin was convicted on one count of oral rape in 1998, one of rape in 2001 and nine charges of indecently assaulting the victim on dates from 1993 to 1998.
The now 21-year-old victim consented to having Griffin named in media reports of the trial. Griffin, a father of two daughters, had pleaded not guilty to the charges at the start of his trial in December.
Garda Niamh Shelly told prosecuting counsel, Deirdre Murphy SC, that Griffin was never known to have been employed and his means of living were also unknown.
Garda Shelly said his 18 previous convictions included nine- and three-year prison sentences in 1987 for robbery, and six years in 1986 for firearms offences, including possession of guns and ammunition.
He also had convictions for larceny and road traffic offences, including dangerous driving.
Mr Justice Carney directed that Griffin be registered as a sex offender and noted that the Court of Criminal Appeal had started to uphold discretionary life sentences in cases of the utmost gravity.
He also noted Griffin's "multiplicity of convictions" which he described as "horrendous" and said that sentences of nine, six and three years had not had any effect on him.
"Clearly this case is one of the utmost gravity in view of the age of the victim when the abuse began and the effects it has had on her, as reported to the court in the psychological report, so that a sentence of life imprisonment is justified," he said.
Mr Justice Carney refused an application by defence counsel, Martin Giblin SC, for leave to appeal the sentence on grounds including the holding of the trial at Cloverhill Courthouse, which counsel contended was prejudicial to Griffin.