'You know what you did' - Man jailed for 14 years for relentless sexual abuse of his two sisters

A Limerick man who sexually abused and raped his two sisters on a daily basis during their childhood has been jailed for 14 years.

The women told the Central Criminal Court that the man’s offending has had ongoing devastating effects on their lives. One sister said her brother had destroyed her “past, present and future”.

The 62-year-old man was convicted following a trial earlier this year of 19 counts of rape of one of his sisters on dates between 1977 and 1984. She was aged between 12 and 18 years old.

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He was also convicted of eight counts of rape and eight counts of indecent assault against a second sister on dates between 1979 and 1984. She was aged between 12 and 17 years old at the time.

The accused man was aged between 14 and 22 when the offences occurred. He has three previous convictions for assault and public order offences.

Passing sentence on Monday, Mr Justice David Keane commended the courage of the women in coming forward and in face of the suffering they had to endure. He wished them well for the future.

Mr Justice Keane noted the aggravating factors in the case included the young age and vulnerability of the two victims, the frequency and relentlessness of the abuse over a lengthy period and the significant harm caused to the victims.

He noted the abuse largely took place in the home, which should have been a place of safety and security, but instead became a place of relentless torment due to the actions of the accused.

Mr Justice Keane set a headline sentence of a total of 15 years imprisonment for the rape offences.

The judge said in mitigation the man could not be given any credit for a guilty plea, does not accept the verdict of the jury and continues to deny the offences. The man has also expressed no remorse or apology.

He noted the accused man’s co-operation with gardai and the efficient way his defence had been conducted at trial. The accused declined to co-operate with the preparation of a probation report.

Mr Justice Keane noted the accused man had stated during the sentence hearing that it was not true that there was sexual abuse or violence in his childhood family home. He had also stated an involuntary admission for mental health treatment had been “a conspiracy to defraud him.”

He imposed concurrent sentences totalling 14 years. He noted as the man continued to deny the offending and protest his innocence, there was no prospect or rehabilitation and no reason to suspend any part of the sentence. He ordered two years post-release supervision.

An investigating garda told Conor Devally SC, prosecuting, gardai became aware of allegations raised by the first sister in 2018 of a high level of violence and sexual offending in her childhood family home.

A second sister also gave an account to gardai of having suffered violent sexual assaults in same family house. The accused man denied the allegations when they were put to him in 2019.

The court heard there was a background of violence and grossly inappropriate sexual conduct within the home. The boys in the family were made to sexually abuse the girls by their father.

After the father left the home when the first sister was aged nine to ten years old, the offending at the hands of the accused continued and became a daily occurrence. The family had also spent time in a women’s refuge where the abuse by her brother continued.

The accused man was between the ages of 14 and 22 years old during the time of the offences with which he is charged, although the court heard the abuse was already occurring on daily basis from when he was 12 years old.

The first sister had later moved to her grandmother’s home in the hope that would end the assaults but her brother continued to rape and assault her there.

The second sister also told gardai the accused had abused her in the family home. Her brother’s attacks on her became more intense during a time her mother fell ill.

The first sister read her own victim impact statement to the court. She said she had been victimised on a daily basis by her brother but learned quickly not to defend herself.

She outlined how her brother had sexually abused her on a daily basis for 11 years and terrorised her with death threats. She was left unable to concentrate in school and with lifelong PTSD.

She said she was eight years old when she first attempted suicide as she wanted the pain of existence to stop. The abuse continued after she moved to her grandmother’s house to escape.

She outlined how she made another suicide attempt using her grandmother’s medicine but the accused had attended at the hospital and she was unable to disclose what was happening.

She described the devastating continuing effect of the offending on her adult life, on her family, relationships, physical and mental health and working life. She said her entire life, “past, present and future”, had been destroyed.

She said she had never felt loved, safe or that she belonged anywhere.

She described how she had been ostracised by her entire extended family because she would not stop talking about her brother. She lost custody of two of her children, causing her much pain.

She said she was “utterly broken” - financially, emotionally and physically.

The second sister, who was unwell and unable to attend court, told the court through her victim impact statement that she had been “terrorised into silence” as a child and it had been easier to just give in. She said she had no defence against her brother as “a little innocent child.”

She said after her older sister was “sent away” to silence her, she chose to be silent. “I buried your dirty little secret.”

She said she bore no animosity towards her brother: “You know what you did,” she told him.

She said she was now free of the silence, guilt and prison that her brother had inflicted on her.

Mark Lynam SC, defending, said his client had a difficult history and with violence in the home at the hands of his father. His client denied that there had been sexual abuse in the home.

Counsel said his client did not accept the verdict of the jury. He said his client has health issues but there was no documentation in court. The accused man denied having any mental health issues.

Mr Lynam said he would not be putting forward any information contrary to his client's instructions.

Mr Justice Keane said he understood counsel was operating under severe constraints.

As the court rose, the accused man stated: “I have committed no crime.”

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