A GRANDFATHER who raped his 41-year-old niece on Christmas night 2014 has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.
The attack, which took place while the victim was asleep at her own home, has left her afraid to leave the house.
According to the Irish Examiner, the court heard how in the wake of the attack, the victim was initially prepared “to leave it lying”.
However she contacted gardaí three months later, after learning her 62-year-old uncle sent a lie-detector test to family members.
The court heard how the once close-knit family had been “shattered irreparably” by the assault.
At a trial at the Central Criminal Court in November, the man pleaded not guilty, saying the pair had engaged in consensual oral sex, which led to intercourse.
However a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to five-and-a-half years last week.
At the sentencing, Mr Justice Hunt took into account the accused’s previous good character, advanced age, medical issues and that he was going into custody for the first time.
However he said that man had made a “catastrophic misjudgement, followed by a second catastrophic misjudgement”, for which the only option was a custodial sentence.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said the attack had impacted not just her own life, but the lives of her children and parents.
“This happened to me in my own home; a place where you’re supposed to feel secure and safe – I no longer feel safe in my own home,” she said.
