A former soldier has been jailed for 12 years for abusing his stepdaughter over an eleven year period at their home in Co. Mayo.
Thomas Mullarney of Cahir, Louisberg first raped her when she was 14 years old but the court heard the abuse started long before then. The offending took place over three distinct periods between January 2003 and the end of September 2014.
Thomas Mullarney was 44 when the abuse began.
Mr. J Michael White described the evidence as “grim and difficult” for the court to consider, and said it was at the upper end of the scale of seriousness for such offences. He outlined the devastating impact Mullarney’s crimes have had on his stepdaughter.
The court heard he groomed her and used to make her watch pornography. As a result, she said she became highly sexualised from a very young age.
Mr. J White said the court considered the relationship between a father or stepfather and child as an important one in that it hugely influences how a child is raised and reaches adulthood. He said it was clear that she loved him but hated what he did to her.
Mullarney burst into tears when he was handed a 14 year prison sentence with the final two years suspended.
