BREAKING: Kilkenny father who repeatedly raped daughter is jailed for 13 years

A COUNTY Kilkenny father who repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped his young daughter has been jailed for 13 years.

The victim was aged between seven and 13 years old at the time of the offences. She told the Central Criminal Court her father had abused her so often she could not remember how many times it happened.

The court heard the abuse took place at locations including the man’s parent’s home, at his own home, and at a wake.

The 43-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, was convicted by a jury following a six-day trial last month of three counts of sexual assault and nine counts of anal rape on dates between 2008 and 2014.

Ms Justice Tara Burns noted that the young woman had been “distraught”, recounting details and “putting words on matters she could not express” while giving evidence at the trial.

She said though she accepted the man had an alcohol dependency, it was clear he was capable of manipulating and controlling his daughter “for his own disgusting sexual gratification”.

Ms Justice Burns told the man she hoped he had listened to his daughter’s “heartbreaking” victim impact statement, in which the young woman described feeling like she was dead.

The judge told him that his daughter should have been treasured and loved as a child and was now in early adulthood facing a life with these intrusive thoughts.

The judge also told him: “You might find it within yourself to express some remorse.”

The judge said the offences were of the “most serious kind”. She imposed a 15-year sentence with the final two years suspended.