'Paedophile' and 'monster' father jailed for sexually abusing daughter and sister-in-law

A “paedophile and monster” who sexually abused his daughter and his sister-in-law has been jailed for a total of nine years at Limerick Criminal Circuit Court this Thursday.

Judge Sinead McMullan, presiding, said the court had heard very eloquent and distressing evidence from both victims in their victim impact statements.

"It is undoubtedly the case that these little girls, as they were at the time, were subjected to huge suffering. This court hopes the strength and resilience they have shown in making the victim impact statements will help them to begin to heal into the future," said Judge McMullan.

The accused - Christopher O’Mahony, aged 67, of Kerrykyle, Ardagh, County Limerick had pleaded guilty to 11 sample indecent assaults on his sister-in-law, and seven sample counts of sexual assault on his daughter. There were a total of 54 counts on the indictment.

Las Friday, the court heard of his “controlling, manipulative and mental abuse” including rationing toilet paper - one sheet for when his daughters were urinating and two sheets for when they were going to the toilet properly.

The emergence of the sexual abuse has caused “civil war and complete fracture within the family”.

Judge McMullan said the court hopes the rift may heal in time.

The judge imposed a total jail sentence of nine years on Mr O'Mahony who showed no emotion when the judge delivered her verdict.

O’Mahony can be named after his daughter Emma O’Shaughnessy, now aged 42, and sister-in-law Helen Costelloe, now aged 51, waived their anonymity.

Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill, outlined the evidence last Friday with the assistance of Detective Garda James Muldowney, of the Limerick Divisional Protective Services Unit.

Ms Buckley said O’Mahony entered Ms Costelloe’s life after he married her sister and came to live in the family home in Ballyhahill while he built a house in Ardagh.

There is a 12-year age gap between Ms Costelloe and her sister who married O’Mahony.

Ms Buckley said the abuse started in 1983 when Ms Costelloe was nine and continued until 1989 when she was 15. O’Mahony told Ms Costelloe, “This would be our secret” and “You’re my girl”.

Ms Costelloe called a family meeting in July 2021 after telling a number of family members of the sexual abuse.

“Her niece Ms O’Shaughnessy was at the meeting and obviously became aware that her auntie had been abused by her father (O’Mahony). Ms O’Shaughnessy announced at this meeting that she too had been abused as a child by her father.

READ MORE: 'My innocence as a child was robbed': Sister-in-law of Limerick 'paedophile'

“Despite all the evidence emerging from the two victims, some members of the family struggled to accept the truth,” said Ms Buckley.

Det Garda Muldowney said there is a “split in the family”.

“There must be some hope that the truth acknowledged by the accused will help other family members see that truth and the terrible abuse perpetrated on their family members,” said Ms Buckley.

The prosecuting barrister then outlined the physical, mental and sexual abuse suffered by O’Mahony’s daughter Ms O’Shaughnessy which began in 1993 when she was 10 and ended in 1996 when she was 13.

READ MORE: ‘Instead of trying to be a parent to me, he became a monster’: Daughter of Limerick 'monster'

Ms Buckley said Ms O’Shaughnessy had a rash on her back, with her father saying it was a “holy show” and began acting as her physician. He used this as an “excuse” to bring her into the bathroom and sexually assault her.

Both Ms Costelloe and Ms O’Shaughnessy read out their own victim impact statements, while their abuser sat emotionless a few feet away.

O’Mahony handed himself into Henry Street garda station three days after the family meeting and the investigation commenced.

He now begins a nine-year sentence and is placed on the sex offenders register.