A father of five has been found guilty of further counts relating to the neglect and physical abuse of his children.

The 42-year-old man was today convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of neglecting four of his children and three counts of assaulting each of his sons after a total eight and a half hours deliberating.

The jury has yet to decide on the final counts of rape and sexual assault of the man’s daughter and a charge of neglecting his youngest son.

The five children, three boys and two girls, were aged between four and eleven when they were taken into care in September 2007.

The accused has pleaded not guilty to a variety of charges including  the rape and sexual assault of his now 10-year-old daughter,  the willful assault of his three sons and the willful neglect of all five children by failing to provide adequate clothing or food.

During the trial Judge Elizabeth Dunne directed a verdict of not guilty on a charge of the sexual assault of his son because she said “there was simply no evidence of any kind to support that charge”.