Courts / Wexford / Report

Man who raped and abused stepdaughter from age 6 refused permission to resile from guilty plea

Date
2026-07-30
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Wexford
County
Wexford

Summary

A 55-year-old man who raped and sexually abused his stepdaughter from the age of six has been denied permission to withdraw his guilty pleas and has been sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison. The man pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one of attempted rape, and seven counts of sexual assault between 2007 and 2013 in Co Wexford. He initially entered his pleas during the first day of his Central Criminal Court trial in October of last year but later sought to resile from them, an application that was refused. The victim, who was aged between six and 12 at the time of the abuse, has been protected by not naming the defendant. The court heard that the man was in a relationship with the girl's mother and was her de facto stepfather. The abuse included acts such as masturbation, dry humping, and oral sex, and the man would buy the girl toys and sweets as gifts. The abuse stopped for a time before resuming in 2010.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who raped and abused stepdaughter from age 6 refused permission to resile from guilty plea. Charges or matters: two counts of rape, one of attempted rape and seven of sexual assault on dates between 2007 and 2013 at locations in Co Wexford. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: Mr Justice Naidoo said the court also had to consider the prospect of rehabilitation before suspending the final 15 months of the sentence for two years in order to encourage victim insight and "in the hope that the offender comes to accept his wrongdoing". CNI source report

Case subjects

Unnamed 55-year-old

Defendant

Charges: two counts of rape, one of attempted rape and seven of sexual assault on dates between 2007 and 2013 at locations in Co Wexford (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: A man who raped and abused his stepdaughter starting from when she was aged six has been refused permission to withdraw his guilty pleas and jailed for eleven and a half years. Mr Justice Naidoo said he would impose a global sentence to reflect the man's offending.

Places mentioned

Incident
Court Venue
  • Central Criminal Court

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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