A 41-year-old man has been jailed for 12 years for raping and sexually assaulting his foster daughter when she was just 16.

Richard Moloney - of Tullaskeagh Drive, Roscrea in Co Tipperary - got her drunk and attacked her while his wife was away.

Ciara Monaghan waived her right to anonymity so Richard Moloney could be named.

His trial heard his wife went to Kerry for the weekend in mid-July 2016, and Ciara invited her friend over: something Moloney was not happy about.

He bought them alcohol and made them play drinking games.

The girls became very drunk, and her friend went upstairs to Ciara's bed.

Moloney then forced himself on his foster daughter in the living room in what Mr Justice Alex Owens described as a "violent and degrading assault".

He then raped her in the bed he shared with his wife.

The court accepted that Moloney lied under oath during his trial and blamed Ciara for what happened, accusing her of sexually assaulting him.

Mr Justice Owens said it was very difficult to identify any significant mitigating factors before jailing him for 12 years.

The sentence was welcomed by Ms Monaghan, who said afterwards: "I'm very pleased with the outcome of today.

"Although no time will ever be long enough for any man or woman who is capable of doing this.

"After three and a half long years of what I can only describe as torture, I hope from today that I can take back my life - and Richard takes back all of the blame, guilt, shame and anger that he has caused me".

Reporting by Frank Greaney