Courts / Ireland / Report
Rapist father who used bible to coerce daughter says WhatsApp conversation should have been disclosed
Summary
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 14 May 2024, a 58‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld to protect his nine‑year‑old daughter, argued that the failure to disclose a family WhatsApp conversation during his 2022 Central Criminal Court trial made his 14‑year jail sentence for 11 offences—including rape, sexual assault and threatening to kill—unsafe. His counsel, Garnet Orange SC, claimed the trial judge erred by refusing to stop the trial after the prosecution's case and by not ordering immediate disclosure of WhatsApp or Viber messages that later emerged during cross‑examination of a family member. He also argued the judge should have allowed cross‑examination of the victim's medical examination and issued a corroboration warning. The State, represented by Lorcan Staines SC, rejected these grounds, stating the WhatsApp evidence was "news to everyone" and that no disclosure order was needed. The unnamed 58-year-old was convicted.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Rapist father who used bible to coerce daughter says WhatsApp conversation should have been disclosed. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- November 2022 Incident
- December 2019 Incident
- April 2020 Incident
- May 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-05-14 Publication
Why: Addressing the corroboration warning, Mr Orange said one should have been given because the offending was alleged to have occurred repeatedly in a small house in which the complainant lived with her parents and two other adults but he said no one was aware of "anything untoward happening". CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; A father who was jailed for 14 years for the repeated rape of his nine-year-old daughter has argued that a failure to disclose evidence of a family WhatsApp conversation about the abuse makes his conviction unsafe. The man was jailed for 14 years.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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