50-year-old man jailed for attempted rapes and sexual assaults against his daughter

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A 50-year-old man who abused his daughter received eight years in prison, with the final year suspended for three years, and 18 months of post-release supervision at the Central Criminal Court. Mr Justice Tony Hunt also ordered sex-offender registration.

The man pleaded guilty to two attempted rapes and 10 sexual assaults. He cannot be identified for legal reasons. The offences took place between 2003 and 2012 on the family farm and elsewhere on the family's holding.

The court heard that the abuse began when his daughter was five. Prosecuting counsel Dara Foynes BL said the 10 counts represented 37 counts. The man had no previous convictions. In March 2014, he admitted the abuse to a social worker and immediately moved out of the family home.

John Paul Shortt SC, defending, said a psychiatric report linked his client's offending with an addiction to pornography and sex channels. The assessment by Doctor Brenda Wright diagnosed paedophilia. The judge expressed concern about rehabilitation and allowing someone with that diagnosis back into the community. Defence counsel replied that he believed nobody was beyond redemption.

Defence counsel asked the court to consider the man's life before the offending and his consistent admissions. The man addressed his daughter in court, acknowledging that an apology was overdue. The proceedings were reported on 11 July 2016.