WILLIAM COSTER, BRAY MONSTER, SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR ABUSE OF STEPDAUGHTER IN BRAY

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Bray, a 44-year-old man named William Coster has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for the systematic and prolonged abuse of his stepdaughter over a span of four years. The victim, now 23 years old, bravely shared her painful story last week, describing Coster as 'a horrible monster' who robbed her of her childhood and inflicted lasting trauma.

William Coster, residing at Boghall Cottages on Boghall Road in Bray, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to a selection of charges involving sexual assault against his stepdaughter. While he admitted to some of these allegations, he maintained his innocence on additional counts, including 13 charges of rape and 22 charges of anal rape. The court heard that the victim was between the ages of 12 and 16 during the period of abuse.

Since admitting to certain offences early last year, Coster has been in custody. Last December, after a three-day trial, the jury acquitted him of all charges related to anal rape and rape but found him guilty on all counts of sexual assault. The prosecution, led by Sean Gillane SC, presented evidence that there were a total of 49 charges of sexual assault spanning from 2002 to 2006.

During the proceedings, it was revealed that Coster had confessed to his wife that he had kissed and touched her daughter. Following this confession, he immediately left the family home but did not cease communication. In fact, he sent over 2,000 text messages to both his victim and her mother, in which he admitted his guilt and expressed remorse, stating that he deserved whatever punishment was coming to him.

Mr. Gillane explained that the victim was led to believe that Coster was her biological father. The abuse began after a family holiday in 2002, when Coster first molested her, and continued once they returned home. The court heard that the abuse was carried out in a pattern of control and intimidation, with Coster threatening his stepdaughter to silence her. Detective Garda Gabriel O’Donoghue described how Coster would summon the girl to his bedroom while her mother was out, instruct her to get into bed with him, and then proceed to molest her through touching. This pattern persisted regularly until the girl turned 16, at which point she was physically able to fight him off.

Mr. Gillane emphasized that the abuse was not only sexual but also accompanied by an 'air of menace and control,' highlighting Coster’s manipulative and threatening behavior. The victim disclosed the abuse to her mother in 2008, prompting an immediate confrontation. Coster admitted his guilt at that time, stating, 'I am glad she told. I am glad it’s out.' He then left the family home and has not returned since.

In her victim impact statement, the woman recounted her struggles to cope with the trauma. She explained that she attended school every day despite her fears, often staying late to avoid returning home. She described her façade of happiness, saying, 'I went around with a fake smile so no one would suspect anything.' She revealed that she initially thought the abuse was normal, believing it to be something fathers did, and expressed her fear that her family would be harmed if she told anyone. The victim also shared that she once took more painkillers than prescribed, attempting to numb the pain and escape her suffering. She described her feelings as being akin to a knife ripping through her heart and stomach, and she lamented that her childhood was stolen from her by Coster, whom she called 'a monster.'