Courts / Kildare / Report
Firefighter jailed for "repugnant" rape of daughter
Summary
Garreth Bannon, 50, of Gurteeneona, Monasterevin, was sentenced to seven years in prison with the final 12 months suspended at the Central Criminal Court for raping his biological daughter, whom he first met when she was a teenager. The offence occurred between January and September 2015. The victim, who is now living abroad, was 18 at the time and had been given alcohol, which the judge said inhibited her capacity to deal with the situation. Bannon pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, which the judge noted as mitigating. The judge described the case as an egregious breach of trust and a repugnant feature of the crime. The sentence includes strict conditions, including no contact with the victim for life and supervision by Probation Services for two years after release. The victim's impact statement highlighted profound and lasting trauma, including guilt, shame, chronic anxiety and PTSD.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Firefighter jailed for "repugnant" rape of daughter. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-04-11 Publication
Why: The judge noted that while a defendant's previous good character and employment carry some weight, it is "not much" in cases such as this, while a guilty plea had value because it spared a victim giving evidence during a trial. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Kildare was handed a seven year sentence with the final 12 months suspended at the Central Criminal Court today after pleading guilty to rape on an unknown date between January 2015 and September 2015. Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Tony Hunt described it as a "repugnant feature" of the case that Bannon's "own flesh and blood [was] abused in a massive breach of trust".
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- The Central Criminal Court
Topics
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