Woman noticed change in relationship between ex-husband and daughter
A woman has told a Central Criminal Court jury that she noticed a change in her ex-husband's relationship with the daughter he is accused of raping and indecently assaulting over 20 years ago.
The woman said the "penny dropped" with a lot of things puzzling her about her ex-husband and daughter's relationship around the time of the alleged incident, when she found out about the allegations over a year ago.
Her 57-year-old ex-husband has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and two counts of indecently assaulting his 11-year-old daughter on January 1, 1988.
The woman told prosecution counsel, Ms Aileen Donnelly SC (with Mr Seamus Clarke BL), that her daughter had been very close to her ex-husband and used to follow him around, helping him with his work.
She said her daughter then "put on this hard face" and "couldn't stand him (accused) almost" when she was around 11 years old and that her husband gave out to the girl and would remark that she showed him no respect.
The complainant's eldest sister told Ms Donnelly she remembered being left alone with siblings on New Year's Day 1988 even though her father was supposed to mind the children while her mother was away.
She recalled the complainant being "very agitated", asking where their mother was and when she would return.
The sister stated she used to be jealous of the complainant's close relationship with her father, until she started getting "special treatment" from the accused after the alleged incident.
She agreed with defence counsel, Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, that she "wouldn't have kept New Year's Day 1988 in a special box" in her memory, but added that she recalled her sister asking for her mother because she would have usually asked for her father.
The complainant's younger brother told Ms Donnelly he remembered the family moving house in the early 90s and the complainant having to buy a mattress for her new room with money saved from her part-time job, when the other siblings were treated to fully furnished bedrooms with carpets.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of 11 men and one woman.
