Jury in family child abuse trial to begin deliberations on Wednesday

Isabel Hayes

A child abuse trial involving several members of an extended family has reached closing stages.

A 66-year-old man and his three sons, aged 38, 40 and 41, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with numerous counts of sexually abusing four family members, who were all children at the time.

The 63-year-old wife of the oldest man is also on trial charged with assisting one of her sons who allegedly anally raped her granddaughter and assaulting her granddaughter.

The court has heard that the alleged offences occurred between 1999 and 2005 in various locations around the country. The jury has been told that the complainants and the accused are all part of an extended Traveller family.

The five defendants deny all of the charges against them. The complainants are the older couple's daughter, their granddaughter and their two nephews.

The jury has heard closing speeches from prosecution counsel and the five defence barristers in the case. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring gave her charge to the jury on Tuesday, before sending the jurors home for the evening.

The jury is expected to begin its deliberations on Wednesday.