Overview
- The criminal trial is underway at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin before Justice Sean Gillane and a 12‑person jury and is expected to run about two weeks.
- The eldest daughter gave evidence on Thursday saying the home felt like a 'military barracks' and describing repeated incidents of control and violence across her childhood.
- The defendant, a 48‑year‑old serving garda, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of child cruelty, two counts of rape alleged by his wife for 2009 and 2021, and an assault charge.
- The witness told the court she began therapy with Jigsaw in June 2024, kept a therapist‑suggested journal and said that journal led to a Tusla referral; defence counsel is challenging who saw the journal and details of her recollection.
- All parties retain statutory anonymity and the trial will test witness accounts, family statements, text messages and documentary evidence with potential public interest because the accused is a serving member of the Garda Síochána.