Meath man jailed for 12 years for rape and sexual assault of his son

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A 59-year-old Co Meath man has been jailed for 12 years at the Central Criminal Court for raping and sexually assaulting his son. A jury convicted him of one count of rape and 31 counts of sexual assault after a trial in April. He cannot be named, to protect the anonymity of his son.

The offending took place at the family home between June 2005 and March 2013, over a seven-year period, when the boy was aged between five and 13. The victim, now 24, read a victim impact statement to the court at an earlier hearing.

Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said the rape of a young son offended against the essence of a natural father-son relationship. He described the abuse as serious offending over a long period, involving grooming-type behaviour, and noted the breach of trust towards the boy and his mother. The judge said it had a serious impact on the victim and dominated his childhood and teenage years.

The judge set a headline sentence of 12½ years for the rape and 10½ years on each count of sexual assault. He said there was very little mitigation, but that he had considered the man's work history, age, isolation and health issues. He noted that the man continues to deny the offences and has not expressed remorse.