A CORK widow who lived "in an orgy of alcohol" with a new lover ignored his sexual abuse of her two children for fear of losing him.
His offences included buggering, raping and sexually abusing the woman's daughter, even on her First Holy Communion day when she was staying overnight in her mother's house, the Central Criminal Court was told. He threatened her she would be killed if she told anyone.
He also sexually abused the girl's young brother on their visits home from their foster-parents.
The boy witnessed some of the abuse of his sister. Each child was aware of the other being abused on separate occasions. Sometimes one would hear the other crying.
The 35-year-old man admitted to gardai that he simultaneously sexually abused both children in a bed at their mother's house, where he was her live-in lover.
"I have never been so devastated, so immensely distressed in my life, as I have been with the gross depravity of this case," said Mr Justice Flood. "I am going to give him a severe sentence.
A garda said the children were robbed of their childhood and would carry the scars for the rest of their lives. The girl was grossly abused even on the day which should have been one of the happiest of her life.
"It is the most distasteful case I ever dealt with," he told Mr Maurice Gaffney SC (with Mr Patrick McCarthy), prosecuting
The single man pleaded guilty to a large number of sexual offences involving the two children on dates in 1993 and 1994. He was remanded in custody for sentence on July 29th next.
He had no previous convictions.
The garda agreed with Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC (with Mr Tim O'Leary), defending, that the victims' mother accepted that she knew what was happening, but she loved the man and was afraid she would lose him if she objected. Their relationship was "an orgy of alcohol".
A file concerning the children's mother has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions. No action has yet been taken.
The garda further agreed with Mr O'Carroll that the accused was not "the brightest person around." While he accepted responsibility for the offences, "I feel he doesn't still appreciate the damage he has done and doesn't seem to be facing up to it."
Earlier, Mr Gaffney outlined that after their father died the children were taken into care by the Southern Health Board, which felt their mother was not capable of looking after them.
They were allowed visit her on one afternoon a week and to stay overnight on occasions. The girl complained in 1995 of being buggered, raped and sexually abused by the accused during some of these stays.
Mr O'Carroll said the children had suffered "awesome, awful abuse" as a result of the totally alcohol ruled relationship the defendant had with their mother. His client accepted the truth of the victims' claims.
Mr Justice Flood said that despite "the gross depravity" of the offences, he still would like to leave the accused some hope for the future.
He was not talking about a suspended sentence, but he thought the accused should be examined by a clinical psychologist. Psychiatric diagnosis should be continued and reports made available for the court before sentencing.
"I can only hope the day will come when our prison service would have a full treatment centre available for all prisoners willing to be treated. Those who are going to be in custody for a very long time should be offered all necessary assistance," Mr Justice Flood said.