A 79-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for 2½ years for sexually abusing his two young daughters.
The Dublin man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughters, was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court last February of rape, buggery and 19 charges of indecent assault against one daughter and 25 counts of indecent assault against another between 1975 and 1981.
The jury returned the verdicts of guilty on all counts after just over an hour’s deliberation on the 10th day of the trial.
The eldest complainant outlined in her victim impact statement how she had lost her family as a result of the abuse and had difficulties in her marriage.
The younger complainant described her father as “evil” and said he had caused devastation within the family.
Mr Justice George Birmingham noted the accused had sought to “bargain with the court” by sending it a letter saying that if he received a suspended sentence there would be no appeal.
He imposed concurrent sentences totalling 2½ years, ordered two years of post-release supervision and ordered that his name be put on the sex offenders’ register.