An 82-year-old Kerryman who admitted to gardaí that he had sexually abused and raped his daughter has been found guilty on multiple counts.
Despite his admissions to gardaí, the man denied all charges against him in his trial.
A jury of six men and six women at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork reached unanimous guilty verdicts on 61 charges of rape.
Three years ago, when interviewed by Garda Sergeant Trevor Ryan, the accused, who’s from Kerry, effectively admitted that he had groomed his daughter since she was a child and said he was willing to face the consequences.
However, he denied all charges at trial. The Irish Examiner reports that the jury found him guilty on all charges – 61 counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault and two charges of assault causing harm.
His daughter, now middle-aged, recalled that at the age of about 12, her father beat her with a large leather strap and broke a chair over her head.
A school friend of the complainant testified that she saw marks on the girl’s body consistent with having been beaten with a belt.
The accused did not go into the witness box during the trial.
His senior counsel, Barry White, cross-examined the victim and suggested she was dissatisfied with being disinherited and that this was why she made the allegations.
The woman denied this and said she didn’t want anything from her father.
The Irish Examiner reports that the 82-year-old will be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork next Friday, when his daughter will have the opportunity to describe the impact his serial abuse had on her from the age of four.
If you're affected, you may contact the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Rape Crisis Ireland or One in Four.
