A person has been jailed for 12 years after repeatedly raping his sister-in-law over a four-year period of abuse. Eunan Merritt, 56, was discovered guilty of eight expenses of rape, 4 expenses of oral rape and two expenses of sexual assault following an 11-day trial.
The Central Criminal Court heard how Merritt, of Crossroads in Donegal, Ireland, repeatedly raped Cheryl Laverty, who waived her anonymity to be named in the trial, between June 1999 and September 2003. The abuse started when Mrs Laverty was 16 years previous and ended when she was 21. The 43-year-old said in a sufferer assertion that Merritt “took her life and destroyed her future”.
As reported by Ireland Live, Judge Kerida Naidoo said Merritt had exploited Laverty’s vulnerability. He added: “The fact that the offending occurred over several years means that he is not a person of general good character.”
Detective Garda Rosarie Monagle informed the court that Merritt is married to Mrs Laverty’s older sister. As a outcome, Mrs Laverty spent a lot of time at Merritt’s home as she felt it was her “place of safety”.
She informed detectives that, on one event, Merritt unfastended her bra in a pub before offering her a raise home. He then pulled into a quarry and raped her.
On a second event, Merritt raped Mrs Laverty when she was home alone with her child. He carried out two other rapes while the child was in the same room at the time.
On a further event, Mrs Laverty tried to stop Merritt from getting into her home. However, he managed to get inside before throwing her onto the couch and raping her.
Mrs Laverty has been admitted into a psychiatric hospital on a quantity of events since the attacks took place. She finally defined to her kids that “years of trauma and rape had made (her) a vulnerable person”.
She also said there was an “emotional distance” in her relationships “because of the damage caused to me”. The spouse and mom also defined how she is preventing to keep alive because of the abuse.
Mrs Laverty continued: “I am living with the version of me that was left behind after the rape. The abuse did not just harm the girl I was – it shaped the woman I have become.”
She informed Merritt that she was “easy to use, easy to silence, easy to shame”. However, she concluded: “But I am handing that shame back to you.”
Dara Foynes SC, defending, said Merritt is a “man of good character with a good work record”. He added that his shopper, who has three daughters, has a quantity of medical points and is the sole supplier for his household.
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