Courts / Cork / Report

Rapist argues 'rug was pulled' from his defence by daughter's 'stark' testimony

Date
2026-04-17

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Cork

County
Cork

Summary

A 67-year-old man who repeatedly raped his daughter over nearly a decade has argued that his legal team was caught off guard by the victim's testimony about wiping semen from her leg with a teddy bear. The man's legal team told the Court of Appeal that this 'stark' evidence was not disclosed to the defence, and that the judge was wrong not to discharge the jury and select new jurors. The man, who cannot be named, was convicted in 2023 of 71 counts of rape, oral rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2024. The abuse reportedly began on the day of the girl's first Holy Communion in 1988 and continued until 1997. The complainant said the abuse started with inappropriate touching and escalated to full sexual intercourse when she was between 14 and 17. The man's senior counsel argued that the judge should have discharged the jury after the victim's testimony about the teddy bear, which had not been disclosed to the defence. The unnamed 67-year-old pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Rapist argues 'rug was pulled' from his defence by daughter's 'stark' testimony. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When: