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Laois man who raped and sexually assaulted his step-daughter sentenced to 14 years
Summary
Noel Maher, aged 42, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting his step‑daughter Amy Kenna over an eight‑year period. The abuse began when Kenna was ten and escalated to rape when she was thirteen, continuing until 2009. A seven‑day trial in July found Maher guilty of three counts of sexual assault between 2001 and 2007 and 34 counts of rape between 2005 and 2009, all at various locations in County Laois. The judge, Justice Garrett Sheehan, noted the victim's suffering and praised her courage, imposing a 14‑year sentence with the last two years suspended on the condition that Maher participate in a sex‑offender programme while incarcerated. The case highlighted the persistent, threatening nature of the abuse and the victim's ongoing recovery efforts.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Laois man who raped and sexually assaulted his step-daughter sentenced to 14 years. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 2001 Incident
- August 2007 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 2005 Other
- November 2009 Other
- August 2009 Incident
- 2012 to 2014 Other
- 2014-10-21 Publication
Why: He suspended the last two years of the sentence in order to encourage Maher to rehabilitate and stressed that this is conditional on Maher taking part in a sex offender's programme while in prison. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Outcome: He said that the appropriate sentence was 14 years and, noting the absence of any expression of remorse, he found no mitigating circumstances in Maher's defence. He suspended the last two years of the sentence in order to encourage Maher to rehabilitate and stressed that this is conditional on Maher taking part in a sex offender's programme while in prison.
Places mentioned
- The Central Criminal Court
- Barrow Way
- Spa
- Spa Street
- Portarlington
- Barrack Street
Topics
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