A Co Monaghan man has been jailed for six years in the Central Criminal Court for raping his 14-year-old daughter and sexually abusing her and a second daughter from 1991 to 1995.
The case came to light when one daughter overdosed on pills. While in hospital she revealed the sexual assaults. After a second overdose she disclosed he had also raped her.
Her 48-year-old father pleaded guilty to raping her on an unknown date in 1995 and sexually assaulting her on an unknown date in 1991, when she was aged about nine, and again in 1993 and 1995. He also pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his second daughter on two occasions on unknown dates in 1992, and once in 1993.
Defence witnesses said he had a very serious drink problem at the time but he was now "dry". He had a very low IQ. Mr Patrick Gageby SC, defending, told Mr Justice Patrick Smith his client was very remorseful and wished to apologise to his daughters.