A Tipperary man has been jailed for a “breach of trust of the gravest kind” after being convicted of the rape of his two daughters and the sexual assault of his niece.
John Doyle (49) of Littleton, Co. Tipperary was convicted of two counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault following a Central Criminal Court trial in Wexford last November.
The court heard on Monday that Doyle's three victims have waived their right to anonymity so that he could be named.
The offending took place at Littleton, Co Tippeary between 2006 and 2017.
Doyle has denied any wrongdoing and maintains his innocence.
Imposing sentence, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford described the offending as a “significant breach of trust”.
“For a father to rape his two daughters is something that is anathema to right-thinking members of society”, the judge said, noting it was a “breach of trust of the gravest kind”.
She said it was an aggravating factor that Doyle abused his daughters in the family home, a “place these children should have been able to feel safe and protected”.
She imposed concurrent sentences of 12 years on the rape counts, with the final one-year suspended on strict conditions.
Doyle was found guilty of one count of rape and sexual assault in relation to his daughter Rebecca.
The court heard she was aged around 10 or 11 when he digitally penetrated her vagina at the family home. She described it as painful and that Doyle put his hand over her mouth while she struggled.
Doyle raped her when she was 13 and alone in the family home with him. He gave her alcohol, then took her to his bedroom where he raped her. He placed his hand over her mouth to prevent her from shouting.
Doyle was convicted of one count of rape and two of sexual assault of his daughter Samantha.
The court heard she was aged between eight and 10 when Doyle called her into his room, where he was naked under a blanket, to help him with a puzzle.
He pulled her into the bed and digitally penetrated her vagina. The young girl told him to stop, and described a feeling of rawness.
Mobile home
Later that night, Ms Doyle was in her room when her father got into bed and raped her. She was extremely upset, crying and afraid. Doyle put his hand over her mouth.
In a separate incident, Doyle sexually assaulted her when she was 12 or 13 in a mobile home by touching her breasts and vagina over her clothes. He also made suggestive sexual comments to her.
Ms Justice Lankford noted that Doyle told both of his daughters that he would kill himself if they told anyone what had happened. There was also a suggestion that they would be offered money to remain silent.
Doyle separately sexually assaulted his then 14-year-old niece, Winnie Whelan, while she was babysitting for an aunt who lived next door to Doyle. He put his hands down her back and touched her upper leg and buttocks and made suggestive comments to her.
Ms Whelan went to a bathroom to hide from Doyle.
Referring to the victims' impact statements, Ms Justice Lankford said it was clear the three were each “profoundly affected” by Doyle's actions.
The judge noted that Rebecca Doyle said in her statement that she felt extremely frightened and upset at the time and very alone afterwards.
She was also afraid to tell anyone due to her father's threat of suicide. Ms Justice Lankford noted that Ms Doyle had to “endure the fear that if her father did kill himself, it would be her fault” on top of the sexual abuse.
The judge added that Ms Doyle said she and her sister got “nothing but hate and abuse” from family members, who her father turned against them and this was a source of great hurt.
Ms Justice Lankford noted that Samantha Doyle referred in her impact statement to being described as “wild” when she was younger, but that her behaviour was a response to what had happened to her.
Ms Doyle also described the hurt and isolation she felt when she came forward and wasn't believed.
Referring to Ms Whelan's statement, the judge noted she felt a sense of shame and that she had done something wrong in the aftermath of the incident. She said Ms Whelan described being close to her uncle and that the abuse was a “huge breach of trust”.
She noted that Doyle's daughters were “violated in their own home”. His refusal to accept his wrongdoing “weighed heavily on them” and “did nothing to assist them moving forward”, the judge said.
Previous convictions
She added that it also meant that family members and their wider community “continued to disbelieve them” and this was a “source of hurt”.
Ms Justice Lankford said Ms Whelan's “relationship with her uncle was destroyed by his actions that night” and this has caused her difficulties with trust.
Doyle has four previous convictions, all for road traffic offences. He was co-operative during the garda investigation. He is a father of seven who has lost his marriage and the “society of his daughters” through “his own actions”, the judge noted.
Ms Justice Lankford said Doyle could not receive the mitigation that would follow from a guilty plea or acceptance of the verdict. She said she took into account the mitigating factors including his health issues.
She noted Doyle was not working and while alcohol appeared to be an element in the offending, it was not suggested by defence counsel that he has an addiction or difficulties.
Ms Justice Lankford also handed Doyle sentences of six and four years in relation to the sexual assault counts, with all sentences to run concurrently.
She backdated the sentences to November 17 last, when he went into custody and directed him to remain away from the victims for five years post-release.
She also placed him under the supervision of the Probation Services for this period to aid his rehabilitation and to “ensure the safety of the victims”.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
Reporting by Eimear Dodd
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