Jail for man who lied about sex attack on partner's sister being consensual

A 27-year-old man from Donegal has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Central Criminal Court for sexually assaulting his partner's teenage sister in June 2017. The assault occurred while the victim slept in the accused's bed alongside her older sister. He initially claimed the encounter was consensual, a position he has since abandoned. The victim outlined the profound impact of the offence and the subsequent five-year delay in the case, describing how she lost family support and endured significant psychological harm. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that the initial false account compounded the damage to family relationships. The judge acknowledged the accused's guilty plea, his lack of relevant convictions, and expressions of remorse as mitigating factors. He imposed a three-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended on condition that the defendant engage in assessment for relevant programmes. A contact ban was also imposed.