A father of three who sexually assaulted two of his wife's sisters while they were baby-sitting his children was jailed for five years yesterday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The 46 year old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexually assaulting the women. The assaults occurred over 20 years ago, when the injured parties were between the ages of eight and 14.
The abuse took place at various intervals between 1980 and 1985, when the two sisters were baby-sitting the accused's children and his wife was at work.
The court heard that one of the injured parties believed the defendant may have drugged her on occasions to knock her out.
The women first confided in their sister about her husband's assaults in 1992 and the gardaí were called in. The case was first before the courts in the mid-1990s. The accused absconded in 1998 but was arrested last summer and taken in to custody. Defence counsel Mr Tim O'Leary said his client was a slow-thinking, depressed man.
Judge Patrick J. Moran said the only thing the accused had in his favour was his guilty plea.
He sentenced him to five years imprisonment and ordered that his name be place on the sex offenders register for no less than 10 years.