A 49-years-old man who sexually abused his two daughters in their Derry home over a seven year period, starting when they were aged five and six, was jailed for 12 years yesterday at the city's Crown Court.
The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two charges of buggery, seven charges of indecent assault and to seven charges of committing acts of gross indecency with his daughters.
He committed the abuse from
November 1996 to September 2003. In May 2005, he was jailed for 15 months for indecently assaulting his niece in 1995.
Prosecuting counsel Stephen Fowler Q.C. told Judge Desmond Marrinan Q.C. that one of the girls was abused up to three times each week.
Explicit abuse
"Her father used to threaten her that she would not see her grandparents if she did not do what he asked her", he said. Mr. Fowler said that "explicit abuse" was perpetrated against the other daughter almost every day.
"She said in her police interview that, if it did not happen, she was happy", he added. "There were repeated buggeries, repeated indecent assaults and repeated gross indecencies of a child over a prolonged period of time."
In addition to the 12 year jail sentence, the defendant was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and also had a Sexual Offences Prevention Order imposed on him, also for an indefinite period. Judge Marrinan also ordered that, upon his release from jail, the offender would undergo probation for a period to be determined by the Secretary of State.
"As their father, you were in a position of privilege and of trust," the judge said.
"Nature itself dictates you should have been their protector, guardian and mentor to provide them with guidance in their young lives. It is hard to believe you abused them in such a despicable way and for so many years."
'Innocent childhood'
He added: "Some may think it is scarcely credible for a father to rob his children of their innocent childhood but sadly such filial crimes are not unusual. These young girls will need a lot of love and support to encourage them to live the full life that they are entitled to.
"There is no doubt this abuse of your daughters was pre-meditated and that grooming was used by you. It was entirely selfish to provide you with sexual gratification", he added.
Judge Marrinan said one of the victims still required specialised therapy and her sister needed detailed counselling.
"These are matters they will never forget. It appears when you finished abusing one daughter you moved to abuse your second daughter", he said.
The full article contains 450 words and appears in Journal Tuesday Derry Edit newspaper.
