A Laois man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he raped and sexually assaulted his step-daughter over an eight-year period.
The man in question Noel Maher is believed to have begun sexually assaulting 10 year old Amy Kenna in August 2001, and the proceeded to consistently rape her when she was only just 13 years of age.
The Central Criminal Court was told that the Ms Kenna waved her right to anonymity so that Mr Maher could be identified.
Judge presiding over the case Mr Garrett Sheehan said that the victim had undergone great deal of suffering and she had “shown great courage and resilience” to stand up to her attacker.
Mr Garrett believed that the appropriate sentence for the sexual abuse was 14 years and, he also noted the absence of any expression of remorse by Mr Maher, he said he found no mitigating circumstances in Maher’s defence.
However Judge Garrett suspended the last two years of Mr Maher’s sentence in order to encourage the 42-year-old to rehabilitate himself. Although he stressed that this is conditional on Mr Maher taking part in a sex offender’s programme while in prison.