A DUBLIN man whose family was "destroyed" by revelations that he had sexually abused his eldest daughter when she was aged between seven to 10 was jailed for three years yesterday.
The 37 year old security guard pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his daughter on January 1st, 1993, and on November 26th, 1995. A further 10 charges covering the period were also taken into account.
His wife told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he had sat with her when she warned her children not to go near "dirty old men in the street". "I trusted that man and that is the only thing I'm guilty of," she said.
She told Judge Kieran O'Connor that she was not distressed but angry. As the "perpetrator", her husband had got an appointment for counselling which he had failed to keep.
Her daughter, however, had to wait weeks before an appointment was arranged for her. She also found it very hard to accept that her daughter could not speak to her about the abuse.
The woman said her husband had destroyed both her and her children's lives and she had obtained a protection order against him. He would never be allowed in the house again.
She had to repeatedly go to court to get him to pay maintenance. Recently, he told her he would seek to have the money repaid to him if he was not jailed for the sex abuse, she alleged.
Judge O'Connor said he understood the woman's anger but added that he could not let her evidence influence his sentence. However, on the facts of the case alone, he had no option but to jail the defendant.
Defence counsel, Mr Brendan Grogan SC, with Mr Oliver Hughes, said through counselling his client now realised the damage he had inflicted on his family. He was working and paying support to his wife.
Mr Grogan asked the court to view the case as one in which a noncustodial sentence could be imposed.
Sgt Christopher McCarthy said the abuse came to light on November 27th, 1995, when the girl told a teacher. When her mother confronted her husband, he burst into tears and confessed. He met gardai and made two statements admitting his guilt.
He later took an overdose of Valium and had slashed his wrists. He spent two days in hospital but made a full recovery.
Sgt McCarthy told Mr Eamonn Leahy, prosecuting, that the of fences took place at a time when the mother was not in the house. She has since instituted legal separation proceedings.
The victim now expressed great anger towards her father and refused to see him even under supervised conditions.