Courts / Waterford / Report
Man appeals conviction for rape of partner's daughter
Summary
In 2014 a 47‑year‑old man was convicted of eight sexual assault offences, including three oral rapes and one rape, against his partner's daughter aged six at the start of the abuse. He received a 12‑year prison sentence. The case involved uncorroborated evidence, such as text messages sent while he was in hospital after a paracetamol overdose, which he later denied. The victim, who was 17 at trial, had previously reported abuse to Gardaí with her grandmother in 2003 but withdrew the complaint. She later wrote a letter to a social worker in 2008 detailing escalating abuse that culminated in rape. At the appeal hearing, counsel argued that the trial judge's warning to the jury about the dangers of convicting on uncorroborated evidence was insufficient and that the jury may have been misled. The appeal remains pending.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man appeals conviction for rape of partner's daughter. Charges or matters: eight charges of sexual assault, three of oral rape and one of raping the girl at two locations in Waterford on dates between 2003 and 2008. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- 2003 and 2008 Incident
- 2021-01-29 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: eight charges of sexual assault, three of oral rape and one of raping the girl at two locations in Waterford on dates between 2003 and 2008 (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Lawyers for the 47-year-old, who was jailed for 12 years in 2014, today told the three-judge Court of Appeal that the trial judge failed to give a proper warning to the jury about the dangers of convicting based on uncorroborated evidence. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed a 12-year sentence, having put the offending at the severe end of the scale and finding that there was very little to be said in the man's favour.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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