The former partner of a man charged with raping their daughter told a Central Criminal Court jury she left him in January 1988 after he beat her around the head. The woman told prosecuting counsel Mr Patrick Gageby SC that her husband ran the house while she worked. He kept the house "extremely well" and ensured their two children were fed and well-dressed, but he was very strict and hard on them.
She said she left the home in January 1988 with the children. Her daughter told her of being abused by her father just before her Confirmation in the spring of 1990. The 51-year-old accused man has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of rape, unlawful carnal knowledge, attempted unlawful carnal knowledge and indecent assaults on dates between September 1st, 1985, and September 21st, 1987. It was the second day of the trial.
Her mother told Mr Gageby the girl was medically examined on the day before she was due to be confirmed and they considered postponing the Confirmation.
They were all upset when they came home and her daughter went out to buy sweets but came running back in to say her father was outside in a car calling her. The mother went out and told him he was not going to see their children and that she knew what he had done. She claimed he went white in the face, rolled up the car window and drove away. She had not seen him since that day until the trial started.
Cross-examined by Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, the woman agreed she was very angry in 1994 when she found out her son had written to the accused without her knowing. She agreed with Mr O'Carroll that portions of the letter allegedly written by her son to his father sounded like he wanted to leave home and go to live with him.
"He expressed lots of interest in lots of things at this time as he was going through a bad patch but he is still living with me," she said.
The woman told Mr O'Carroll she had informed the accused before Christmas 1997 she did not love him any more and was not going to live with him. She denied a suggestion by Mr O'Carroll that there was another man in her life at this time.
The hearing continues.