Man jailed for 21 years over sexual abuse of two daughters

A woman with 22 distinct personalities, who transitioned into a five-year-old alter ego at a trial, has shocked a court with her testimony.

A predatory father who committed ongoing sexual abuse against his two daughters has been jailed for 21 years, as a judge labelled his actions a “breach of trust of the highest order”.

The man, who can only be called SN, was found guilty of 23 charges – including multiple counts each of indecent assault and sexual intercourse without consent – after a landmark trial before the NSW District Court last year.

During the trial, one of the victims gave evidence as several of her 22 different personalities.

On Thursday, the court heard of the horrific abuse the girls were subjected to at their family home in the Hunter Region over six to seven years, and how SN has shown no remorse.

A father has been jailed for abusing his two daughters.

Judge Ian Bourke recounted how one of the girls, AB, was abused in bedrooms, in the bath and on several occasions in the shower after being cornered by her father.

On one occasion, when AB came to tell SN their other family members had left the home, he said: “Good, we get some alone time”.

She tried to leave the room but he ordered her to “sit the f*** back down” before sexually abusing her.

After one of the incidents a distressed AB told her father she would “cut off” his penis if he ever tried to abuse her again.

Judge Bourke said he believed the accounts of both AB and her sister LN that the charged incidents were not the only cases of sexual abuse they were subjected to by SN.

‘Depraved’ actions

This meant, the judge said, the offences for which he was to be sentenced could not be considered “lapses” or “isolated aberration”.

“It has been said the sexual abuse by a father of their own child is a breach of trust of the highest order,” Judge Bourke said.

The trial was heard before the NSW District Court in Newcastle. Picture: AAP Image/Darren Pateman

There was nothing in SN’s past that could “explain, let alone mitigate” his actions, the judge said.

“The offender preyed on his two children for his own selfish and depraved sexual gratification,” Judge Bourke said on sentence.

“The offender maintains his innocence and so there is no remorse.”

Both victims – who were aged in their teens at the time of the incidents – also spoke of ongoing physical and emotional abuse from their father, the court heard.

During the trial, the court was told LN had been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and was just one of 22 “system members” – or distinct personalities.

‘We tell the truth’

She gave evidence over 10 days and was sworn in under multiple personalities, including that of a five-year-old girl.

On the stand, LN told the jury she had no memory of her life before the age of 18 when she “solidified” her identity.

Later, the jury watched as the entity of the little girl emerged on request from SN’s barrister after LN put on some headphones and listened to music.

She sucked on her pointer finger and clutched a stuffed bunny rabbit as she answered Garry Sundstrom’s questions in a childlike manner.

One of the identities held a stuffed toy in court.

The court heard the five-year-old entity, who spoke in third person, told police she did not like “the tickling game” her father allegedly played with her.

“[I] say ‘no daddy no’,” she said.

Speaking as LN, she said under cross-examination the system members “do nothing but tell the truth, Garry”.

“And we will die saying what our father did – no matter if it’s me or other system members – happened.”

Judge Bourke sentenced SN to a non-parole period of 14 years, backdated from when he was taken into custody in December, meaning he would first be eligible for release in 2038.

A domestic violence order was also set down to remain in place until 2047, two years after SN’s head sentence would expire in 2045.