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‘Depraved and abhorrent’ who raped daughter, sentenced to 45 years in prison

Jeni Haybes (right) with her mother outside Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Friday.

Jeni Haybes (right) with her mother outside Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Friday. Photo: AAP

A man whose daughter developed thousands of personalities after he repeatedly raped and abused her has been sentenced to 45 years in prison.

District Court Judge Sarah Huggett today said Richard Haynes, 74, will likely die in jail before his non-parole period of 33 years expires in 2050.

He changed his plea to guilty mid-trial in March after being extradited from the UK to face dozens of charges rape, buggery and assault from the 1970s and 80s.

His daughter, Jennifer, was aged between four and 11.

Judge Huggett described Haynes’ abuse as “depraved and abhorrent” and said it involved the use of grooming, conditioning and humiliation to exercise control.

“The psychological manipulation used by the offender, coupled with his escalating violence, served to emphasise and reinforce the power he had over her,” she said.

Judge Huggett said in sentencing Haynes, she was required to put aside her emotional reaction to the “profoundly disturbing and perverted” way he treated his daughter.

She handed him a maximum sentence of 45 years with a non-parole period of 33 years.

For more than an hour, the judge detailed each of Haynes’ horrific acts and said he threatened, berated and belittled his daughter throughout the sexual abuse.

Haynes sat in the dock wearing prison greens, staring at the judge or straight ahead.

He made no reaction when he learned his fate and did not make eye contact with his daughter as he was taken away.

Ms Haynes sat quietly in the public gallery surrounded by supporters.

The court heard Ms Haynes was warned if she told anyone, her mother would die and it would be her fault, or Haynes would kill her brother, sister and cat.

“No one loves you, I can do what I like to you,” Haynes told his daughter during one depraved act.

“No one cares. You’re nothing.”

The judge described Ms Haynes as “a most compelling witness”.

Haynes attempted to retract his guilty plea and Judge Huggett said although his position was that he was not guilty, there was no evidence to cause the court to question the statement of facts.

Ms Haynes is now 49 and has waived her legal right to anonymity.

She developed dissociative identity disorder, previously known as multiple personality disorder, to cope with the psychological effects of the abuse.

Her “alters” include Symphony, a four-year-old girl, and a teenage boy known as Muscles.

Ms Haynes embodied many of her alters in court in May as she read out a victim impact statement, describing the abuse as “calculated and planned”.

“There are insufficient words to do justice to the enormity of his offending on my life,” she told the court.

Outside court Ms Haynes said she was relieved by the sentence.
“I hope it is hard. I hope it is difficult. I hope it is onerous and I hope he hates every minute,” she said.

Ms Haynes said she now wanted to get on with her life and was desperate to travel.

-ABC

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