A man accused of sexually assaulting a young girl will claim she made up the allegations because she wanted to split himself and her mother up.
Letterkenny court.
The man, who is in his 40s, faces three charges of sexually assaulting the girl at two different addresses in Co Donegal between 1998 and 2002.
The girl told Letterkenny Circuit Court today the assaults allegedly happened when she was aged between 6 and 9 years of age.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies all the charges.
The girl, who is now a young woman in her 20s, recalled the three occasions when she was allegedly assaulted.
On the first two occasions the man is alleged to have come into the girl’s bedroom where the alleged assaults took place.
On the first occasion when the girl was 6, she had been sleeping when he is alleged to have put his hand down the front of her pyjamas and rubbed her vagina.
The woman then claimed he asked her “Do you like that?” before he left the room.
On the second occasion the girl said she was aged eight or nine and she was playing her Playstation in her bedroom.
The Playstation stuck and she called for her mum who was on the phone and the man came into her bedroom.
The man is again alleged to have put his hands down the girl’s pyjamas and rubbed her vagina with his fingers.
On the last occasion she had suffered a nightmare and had come into her mum’s bedroom which she shared with the man.
She got into the bed between the man and her mother but the next morning her mother was gone from the bed.
She then claims that the man took her hand and placed it down the front of his boxer shorts and forced her hands on his penis rubbing it up and down.
This lasted for about five minutes saying she could not take her hand away because he had his hand gripped so tightly on her hand, she said.
Defense barrister Damien Crawford asked the woman if she was sure she could remember the man moving in with her mother when she was just four years old?
The woman said she could and she could remember starting school and also described the colour and make of the man’s car.
Barrister for the prosecution Patricia McLoughlin put it to the woman that the accused will say these allegations were made up because she wanted to split up her mum and the man.
“That’s not true,” said the young woman.
The girl added she wished she had have told her mother when she was young but she didn’t before she broke down in tears.
Mr Crawford added that it was most unusual that the man did not say anything to the girl following the alleged assaults including asking her to keep it secret.
He also said it would have ben reckless for him to carry out the alleged assaults with her mother close-by.
“He’s very crafty and he’s good at telling lies anyway,” said the young woman.
Mr Crawford also asked why she got into the bed with her mother and the man if she was so afraid of him from the alleged previous assault.
He then said that the man must have had “hundreds if not thousands” of opportunities to carry out similar acts on the girl.
“Is it fair to say that you grew not to like him?” he asked.
The girl replied that she realised what had happened to her as she got older and that she “couldn’t get peace.”
Mr Crawford added that he was only exercising discipline.
But the young woman added that he invaded her privacy by coming into her bedroom and even in the bathroom when she was in it.
Mr Crawford added that they girl often reminded the man that he wasn’t her father and she agreed with this.
The young woman said she eventually told he friend who encouraged her to tell her grandmother.
Mr Crawford asked the young woman why she din’t tell her mother?
“I would have been a lot closer to my granny than my mother,” she answered.
She said she told her mum what had happened but did not give her the full details of what had allegedly happened.
“What was your mother’s reaction,” asked Mr Crawford.
The young woman said she was shocked and she just left.
Mr Crawford asked the young woman if her mother believed her and she replied “I don’t think she knows what to believe because I think she is brainwashed.”
The court heard the man has denied all allegations from the outset of the claims.
“He would claim he spoilt you over the years,” said Mr Crawford.
The young woman said he gave her money if she was crying to make her feel better.
The court heard the girl’s mother is still in a relationship with the accused man until this day.
The accused has not yet given evidence in the trial.
The trial before Judge John O’Hagan continues and is expected to last two days.