66-year-old patriarch jailed for life for rape of children

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

The 66-year-old patriarch of the family was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and other sexual offences at the Central Criminal Court on 13 November 2023.

Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring imposed life sentences for each of 24 convictions: two counts of anal rape of his granddaughter and 22 offences against his nephew, comprising 12 counts of anal rape and 10 of oral rape.

The report said the convictions followed a trial held the previous May. He did not accept the jury's verdicts and continued to maintain his innocence. Defence counsel cited his age, health, lack of education and illiteracy, and asked the court to consider that the offences occurred during a similar period to the offences for which he is already serving 16 years.