Rapist father gets jail term cut

A man who fathered nine children by raping his two daughters over many years has won a cut in his minimum jail term at the Court of Appeal.

It ruled that the Sheffield man, who was ordered to serve at least 19-and-a half years of a life sentence, was entitled to a five-year reduction.

He was jailed last November after admitting 25 counts of rape.

A judge said the minimum term should be reduced because it was in line with those imposed for "serious murders".

Sheffield Crown Court was told last November that the attacks on the man's daughters led to 19 pregnancies.

Nine of the children were born, two of whom died on the day of their birth. The other 10 pregnancies were miscarried or aborted.

Lord Justice Hughes described how the man had ruined his daughters' lives with the catalogue of abuse.

He refused to use contraception and then exploited his daughters' natural maternal love for the children to strengthen his hold over them, threatening to kill the babies if they did not accede to his every whim.

The judge said the victim impact statements by the daughters made for harrowing reading.

He added: "This adds up to a near lifetime of sexual abuse by the defendant, of people who, as their father, he was supposed to be protecting."

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