Father who repeatedly raped his daughter is jailed for 19 years and told he is to blame for her suicide

• Michael Warrener is locked up on three rape charges and one of indecent assault
• He abused daughter Claire from the age of around 13
• Claire killed herself in her 20s after sending text saying she could not cope with what her dad put her through
• Family say they hope the 59-year-old rots in hell

Rapist: Michael Warrener was jailed for 19 years for repeatedly raping his daughter

A father who repeatedly raped his daughter has been jailed for 19 years and told he is to blame for her suicide.


Tragic Claire Warrener killed herself last December when she was barely into her 20s - just months after breaking her silence about the horrific ordeal her dad had put her through when she was a young girl.

Just before she killed herself, Claire sent a text to a loved one saying she could not cope because of what her dad Michael Warrener had done to her.

Warrener, of Twickenham Road, Sunderland, denied one charge of indecent assault and three of rape but was found guilty by a jury after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court last week.

The lengthy, harrowing statement Claire made when she reported her horrendous experience to the police was used as evidence against her father during the trial.

Her grieving family were in court to see the 59-year-old finally face justice for his sickening crimes and said 'we hope he rots in hell.'

Judge John Milford told Warrener: 'I am satisfied you are, at least in part, responsible for her death.

'She had made a victim impact statement speaking of the considerable impact the offences had made upon her.

'Though other factors may have played a part in the decision she took to end her life, she sent a text saying she could not cope any longer because of what you had done to her.

 

'This was a gross breach of trust causing great harm. You have demonstrated no remorse.'

Warrener appeared defiant and shook his head during the proceedings yesterday.

Speaking after the hearing, Claire’s devastated family said: 'The most important part of all this is we got justice for Claire. We hope he rots in hell.

'We have always said Claire did what she did because of the abuse he put her through, now the judge has publicly said that that was in fact one of the reasons for her taking her own life.
'Even though 19 years sounds like a long time, for us, no sentence could be long enough.
'As a family we have got a life sentence because of what he did, we will never get Claire back even after he has served the 19 years.'

The court had heard how Warrener repeatedly abused Claire from the age of around 13.

Repeated abuse: Newcastle Crown Court, where Warrener was told he was partly to blame for daughter Claire's suicide

Prosecutor Penny Moreland told the court how Claire, whose parents had split up, was living with her dad when the abuse started.

Miss Moreland said: 'He came to her bedroom when she was asleep.'

Claire told police in her statement: 'I didn’t know what had happened to me.'
After the first incident of abuse, which happened when Warrener’s then girlfriend had walked out on him, Claire’s ordeal got worse.
Miss Moreland said: 'The defendant again came into Claire’s bedroom at night. That night he raped her.

'After that he raped her more often, as the problems in his relationship became greater, until he was having sex with her about three or four times per week.'

The court heard it wasn’t until 2010 Claire felt able to report her dad for what he had done.

Miss Moreland said: 'She told the police and on March 13 she made her statement.'

Warrener was arrested and denied wrongdoing.
Miss Moreland said: 'He said she might be making the allegation up because he had accused her three weeks earlier of stealing money from him.'
Warrener was found guilty of indecent assaults on two other child victims
during the trial.