A "violent, abusive father" has been jailed for 12 years for having sexual intercourse with his daughter. The 52-year-old father pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having unlawful carnal knowledge of his now 27-year-old daughter on dates in 1994 and 1996.
"The effects on this girl have been devastating. It could be said her life has been ruined," said Judge Cyril Kelly.
He said the "grim and tortured existence" she suffered stood out clearly in the book of evidence and in her own verbal evidence to the court. She showed classic symptoms of severe post-traumatic-stress disorder with high levels of self-loathing.
"The dreadful pain, physical trauma, suffering, emotional turmoil under which she now exists were clear in her demeanour in the witness box. When you sit in this court and hear most horrific stories you do not become immune or inured to them," said Judge Kelly.
He noted that the victim's mother now totally ignored her because she made the allegations. "This girl is lonely, isolated and deserted by her mother - the one person she thought would stand by her."
Judge Kelly imposed a 12-year sentence on the first charge of unlawful carnal knowledge in a sports field and two concurrent terms of four years each on two further charges.
Garda Brenda Hyland-Beirne told prosecuting counsel the offences happened in an open field and in an apartment. It took the victim almost five hours to make her statement and when she did she became physically ill. The victim recalled years of physical violence in which her father would kick and punch her. She revealed that her father began bringing in "blue movies" and pornographic books with naked or topless women which he would show to her.
The victim was so afraid of him that in August 1994 she submitted to him and allowed him have intercourse with her in a sports field near their home. She continued to allow him have carnal knowledge of her in their home on a regular basis just to protect the rest of the family and to have peace.
Judge Kelly commended Garda Hyland-Beirne for her evidence and the work she had put into the case. He said it was increasingly clear that the Garda Siochana had developed a great expertise in dealing with the victims in these cases.
Defence counsel Ms Isobel Kennedy asked for "a structured sentence" under which her client could get treatment and be rehabilitated before leaving prison. Judge Kelly rejected counsel's request for a review date.