A Ipswich father who raped his daughter and niece has made a bid to appeal his sentence

One year after being dealt with for raping and sexually assaulting his daughters and niece, an Ipswich father made a bid to appeal his sentence for the “sexually deviant” offending.

Exactly one year after being dealt with for raping and sexually assaulting his daughters and niece, an Ipswich father has lost a bid to appeal the sentence, which he says was “excessive”.

The man was sentenced in Ipswich District Court on December 3, 2020 for the “sexually deviant offending” which spanned over 16 years and left lasting impacts on the three victims.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identities, was aged 24 when the offending began and was 41 at the time of sentencing.

According to court documents, the man began offending against his oldest daughter when she was aged six to 13 and for this was charged with maintaining a relationship with a child under 16 and seven counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12 – lineal.

He offended against his second daughter when she was aged four to 15, and was charged with five counts of rape, six counts of indecent treatment and one count of maintaining a relationship with a child under 16.

He was charged with one count of rape for offending against his niece when she was seven years old.

According to the documents, the oldest daughter thought the offending was “just what dads and daughters do”.

On one occasion in 2011, the child asked her father why he was allowed to touch her private parts and he told it was “what dad can do”.

The man told his daughter it was “their little secret and told her not to tell her mother.

The offending came to light when the man’s niece told her mother what happened and she went to the police.

The man pleaded guilty to the 21 offences and was given a head sentence of 14 years.

The man was declared a serious violent offender on the count of maintaining a relationship with his eldest daughter and ordered to serve at least 80 per cent of the sentence before being eligible for parole.

In October, a hearing was held and the man sought leave to appeal his sentence on the grounds that it was “excessive.”

One year after sentencing, on December 3, 2021, the Court of Appeal handed down a decision refusing the man leave to appeal his sentence.

“The applicant’s offending was rightly described by the sentencing judge as an appalling breach of a father’s obligation, and egregious behaviour occurring over a period of many years,” Justice Philip Morrison said.

“The offending involved penetrative acts committed over an extended period of time and from when the applicant’s daughters were very young, (one) being aged six and (one) aged four when the offending commenced.

“It involved not only indecent treatment but oral, digital and penile rape on a total of six occasions, five against (the second daughter), and one against (the niece).

“ The offending was undoubtedly very serious and deserving a sentence that reflected the condemnation, punishment and to serve the purposes of general and personal deterrence.”