Man (31) jailed for sexual abuse of sister in Sligo family home

Eimear Dodd

A man who raped and sexually assaulted his younger sister over a seven-year period has been jailed for 12 years.

Kyle Jinks (31) was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of 21 sample counts of rape and four sample counts of sexual assaults on dates between 2008 and 2014.

The court heard that his younger sister, Leah Jinks, had waived her right to anonymity to allow her older brother to be named.

Ms Jinks was between 11 and 17 years old, while her older brother was aged between 14 and 20 when he abused her over a seven-year period at the family home in Co Sligo.

The abuse included inappropriate touching of her genital area, digital penetration of her vagina, rape and one incident of anal rape.

Jinks, of Slievemore, Ballytivnan, Co Sligo, maintains his innocence, does not accept the jury's verdicts and intends to appeal, the court heard. He has 25 previous convictions, including for burglary, possession of explosives, public order, and road traffic offences.

Imposing sentence on Friday, Mr Justice David Keane said the significant breach of the trust was an aggravating factor in this case.

He said other aggravating factors included the victim's young age and vulnerability and the “considerable harm” and trauma caused to her by the offending.

The judge also noted that the offending took place in the family home, which ought to have been a place of safety, but was instead a “place of fear” and that Jinks engaged in a “pattern of persistent offending” over a protracted period of time.

Referring to the victim impact statement, the judge noted Ms Jinks' assertion that an older brother was supposed to protect and watch out for his younger sister, but he became the person she feared the most.

The judge said the statement outlined how the abuse affected every aspect of the victim's life.

He commended Ms Jinks for her courage and determination during the criminal process and wished her well for the future.

Mr Justice Keane set a global headline sentence of 14 years in respect of the rape counts.

The judge said he would adjust the headline sentences on individual counts to reflect that Jinks was a juvenile for part of his offending, adding it would not be appropriate to reduce the headline sentence for any offences committed by Jinks when he was 20 on the grounds of immaturity or age.

The judge imposed a sentence of 12 years, having considered the available mitigation and Jinks's personal circumstances.

Mr Justice Keane noted that Jinks declined to co-operate with the Probation Services to complete a probation report. The defendant is assessed at very high risk of re-offending and moderate risk of sexual re-offending.

The judge noted the evidence from the trial was of a “highly dysfunctional family background” and that the family moved frequently. The court was told that Jinks' offending occurred in various properties where the family were living at the relevant times.

Mr Justice Keane said there was “no logical basis” on which to suspend any portion of the sentence and directed two years post-release supervision of Jinks.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.