The son of a man who’s on trial in Tralee, accused of child cruelty and sexual assault, told gardaí there’s a very dark side to his father which involved regular beatings.
The man faces five charges at the trial in Tralee Circuit Court.
He’s accused of child cruelty to three of his four children over an eleven-year period, and of sexually assaulting his young teenage daughter twice.
Neither the accused man, nor any of the complainants can be identified, by order of the court.
You're advised you may find some detail distressing.
The jury of nine men and three women were told that there are three complainants, and these are three of his four children.
The man is accused of child cruelty to one son and two daughters over an eleven-year period, during which he’s alleged to have carried out extreme violence and demeaning name-calling.
This son gave evidence to An Garda Síochána in March 2019, and a DVD recording of this was played for the jury in court.
The son, who is now in his 20s, told gardaí at the time that there’s a very dark side to his father, and he subjected them to regular beatings.
He said generally he would be beaten with one of his sisters, and he told gardaí that during these beatings, he would fear for his life.
The son gave examples of these incidents to gardaí, and told them that he would be struck with fists, wooden spoon, or slapped very hard by his father, while being told he was stupid and a fool.
On one occasion, the son alleges that his father beat him and his sister so badly that his sister, who was a teenager at the time, urinated and defecated out of fear.
The son was present in court to be cross-examined by Senior Counsel David Sutton, instructed by Junior Counsel Katie O’Connell and solicitor Eimear Griffin.
Mr Sutton put it to the son that his father is a strict man but denies hitting him, and denies violence against his children.
The trial continues before Judge Ronan Munro.
