'Sick sexual abuser' (75) jailed for rape of partner's daughter

A 75-year-old man from Ballyfarnon, County Roscommon, has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment following his conviction at the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting and orally raping his partner's daughter between 1998 and 1999. Christopher Ashmore pleaded not guilty to five charges but was found guilty on four counts. The victim, who waived anonymity, gave an impact statement describing how the abuse transformed her from a happy child into one consumed by fear and anxiety. Justice Carmel Stewart noted that Ashmore held a position of trust within the family home and has continued to deny the offences without expressing remorse. The judge sentenced him to ten years for two Section 4 rape offences and three years for two further sexual assaults, with sentences to run concurrently and the final twelve months suspended. Ashmore was also ordered to register as a sex offender.