A 48-year-old Garda officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin accused of raping his wife and cruelly treating his two stepdaughters. The daughter, now 24, gave harrowing evidence that her stepfather forced her to eat a bucket of KFC chicken until she vomited and subjected the family to a reign of terror.
Charges and Court Proceedings
The defendant has pleaded not guilty to two counts of raping his wife on dates in 2009 and 2021, two counts of child cruelty against his eldest stepdaughter between 2027 and 2024, and one count of assault on an unknown date between late 2021 and early 2022. The trial, presided over by Justice Sean Gillane, is expected to last two weeks.
Daughter's Testimony: A Home Like a Military Barracks
The daughter told the jury that the family home had "an atmosphere of violence and threats" and felt like living in a military barracks. She described strict weekend rules: she had to get up by 10am or a jug of cold water would be thrown over her. At age 15, her father allegedly told her that her legs looked like the legs of a pool table and forced her to run daily; the only way to avoid it was to claim she was on her period.
Forced Eating and Dog Poison Threat
In one incident, the defendant forced his younger stepdaughter to eat a bucket of KFC until she was sick, constantly criticizing her weight and appearance. The eldest daughter also recounted that when the family tried to bring their puppy back to the family home in November 2021, her father threatened to put rat poison in the dog's food. She became upset in the witness box while testifying about this.
Assault and Violent Atmosphere
The daughter described an incident when she was 18: a dispute over using her laptop led to her father allegedly pushing her, causing her to land on her hip and suffer bruising. On another occasion, the mother was cooking when the defendant complained about a picnic table and shouted in her face; the eldest daughter intervened by hitting him with a vacuum cleaner. In March 2021, after a fight between the parents, the father barricaded the mother into a room.
Prosecution's Case
Prosecuting barrister Dominic McGinn SC told the court that the accused was "a violent and domineering father and husband" who subjected two of his daughters to "unreasonable chastisement" for most of their childhood. The wife testified that she told him she didn't want sex, but he said he didn't care and proceeded anyway.
Impact on the Family
The daughter decided to seek therapy in June 2024. She said her father's behaviour towards her sister was more "emotional manipulation" and that the eating incident deeply affected her sister's self-esteem. The trial continues before a jury of seven men and five women.
