Ireland Case No. 7783Rape and sexual assault of a child · Co. Donegal
Donegal man jailed for ten and a half years over rape and sexual abuse of daughter
Michael Carter (55), of Kinnego, Ballymagan, Buncrana, Co Donegal, raped and sexually abused his daughter, Karen Harkin (22), between June 2010 and June 2014, when she was aged nine to 12, at his rented home. Carter was arrested in December 2018 and charged in September 2020. In June 2023 a jury at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty of one count of rape and 25 sample counts of sexual assault, and he maintains his innocence. On Tuesday 25 July 2023 Ms Justice Karen O'Connor jailed him for ten and a half years, backdated to June 28, and he will be a registered sex offender.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Convicted24 Jul
2 reports - Sentenced25 Jul
2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Michael Carter raped and sexually abused his daughter when she was a child, including inappropriate touching during frequent visits.
- On one occasion Carter raped the victim and stopped when she screamed.
- Where
- The abuse occurred when the victim visited her father's rented home.
- When
- The offences took place between June 2010 and June 2014, when the victim was aged nine to 12.
- Investigation
- The victim told an aunt about the abuse in 2016 and made a formal complaint to gardaí in 2018.
- Carter was arrested in December 2018 and gave gardaí a pre-prepared statement denying he had ever done anything wrong to his daughter.
- Charges
- Carter was charged in September 2020 and sent forward for trial.
- In court
- The trial due in 2022 could not go ahead and a new trial date was set.
- In June 2023 a jury at the Central Criminal Court found Carter guilty of one count of rape and 25 sample counts of sexual assault.
- Carter does not accept the jury's verdict and maintains his innocence.
- Sentence
- The DPP's view was a headline sentence of ten to 15 years for the rape count, and the judge set a headline sentence of 12 years.
- The victim read a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing on Monday 24 July 2023, and the sentence was finalised on Tuesday 25 July.
- Carter was sentenced to 11 years for the rape count, with the final six months suspended (one account says suspended for 12 months), and to eight years for the sexual assault counts, concurrent, for a total of ten and a half years.
- The sentence was backdated to June 28, when Carter entered custody.
- Other details
- Carter will be a registered sex offender, and the victim waived her anonymity so her father could be named.
34 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe victim was raped and sexually abused by her father when she was a child. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe abuse occurred frequently during visits and included inappropriate touching. (irishtimes.com)
- whatOn one occasion Carter raped the victim and stopped when she screamed. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe abuse occurred when the victim visited her father's rented home. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
- whereCarter lives at Kinnego, Ballymagan, Buncrana, Co Donegal. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe abuse happened when the victim visited her father's rented home. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe offences were committed between June 2010 and June 2014. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe offences took place between June 2010 and June 2014. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe abuse took place between June 2010 and June 2014, when the victim was aged nine to 12. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe offences occurred between June 2010 and June 2014, when the victim was aged between nine and 12. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationCarter was arrested in December 2018. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe victim told an aunt about the abuse in 2016 and made a formal complaint to gardaí in 2018. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationCarter was arrested in December 2018 and told gardaí in a pre-prepared statement that he had never done anything wrong to his daughter. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationCarter denied any wrongdoing when interviewed by gardaí. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeCarter was charged in September 2020 and sent forward for trial. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
- chargeCarter was found guilty of one count of rape and 25 sample counts of sexual assault. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- courtCarter was found guilty of one count of rape and 25 counts of sexual assault. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe verdict followed a trial at the Central Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtCarter was found guilty of one count of rape and 25 counts of sexual assault against his daughter, who was aged between nine and 12. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial due in 2022 could not go ahead and a new trial date was set. (irishtimes.com)
- courtCarter does not accept the jury's verdict and maintains his innocence. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe DPP's view is that the rape count warrants a headline sentence of ten to 15 years. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe judge adjourned the case to the next day to finalise the sentence. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe victim read a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing on Monday. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe judge adjourned the case to Tuesday to finalise the sentence. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceCarter was jailed for ten and a half years. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceCarter was sentenced to 11 years for the rape count, with the final six months suspended. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceCarter was sentenced to eight years for the sexual assault counts, with all sentences to run concurrently. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe sentence was backdated to June 28, when Carter entered custody. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe judge set a headline sentence of 12 years for the rape count. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceCarter was sentenced to 11 years for the rape count, with the final six months suspended for 12 months. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCarter does not accept the verdict and maintains his innocence. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
- otherCarter will be a registered sex offender. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe victim waived her anonymity so her father could be named. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 25 Jul2023Donegal man who raped his daughter jailed for ten and a half years
Sentencing report. Adds the sentence (ten and a half years), the breakdown of sentences, backdating to June 28, registration as a sex offender, and that the victim, Karen Harkin, waived her anonymity.
convicted, Michael Carter, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael Cartervictim, Karen Harkin, 22, female, irish (judged from name)Karen Harkin - 25 Jul2023Father (55) jailed for 10½ years over rape and sexual assault of daughter
Sentencing report. Carter was found guilty by a jury after trial at the Central Criminal Court. The abuse occurred at his rented home. Carter does not accept the verdict and will be a registered sex offender.
convicted, Michael Carter, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael Cartervictim, Karen Harkin, 22, female, irish (judged from name)Karen Harkin - 24 Jul2023Woman raped by her father tells court: ‘I was no longer a little girl and I never would be again’
Reports the victim impact statement read at the sentencing hearing and the adjournment of sentence to a later date. Also gives the trial verdict, the timeline of the abuse, the reporting history and the case's procedural history.
convicted, Michael Carter, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael Cartervictim, Karen Harkin, 22, female, irish (judged from name)Karen Harkin - 24 Jul2023Donegal woman raped by father tells of pride at getting justice
Reports the sentencing hearing and the victim impact statement of Karen Harkin. The sentence had not yet been finalised. Gives the period of the offences as June 2010 to June 2014 and the DPP's sentencing view.
victim, Karen Harkin, 22, female, irish (judged from name)Karen Harkinconvicted, Michael Carter, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael Carter