A man in his mid-40s has been given a three-year jail term after pleading guilty to the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl in the west.

The abuse took place while the girl was on a sleepover at the man's house, following his daughter's birthday party.

In a victim impact statement read to Galway Circuit Criminal Court, the victim's father described how the assault had stolen her ability to trust people and left her dealing with a number of issues as a result of the abuse.

In a lengthy address to the court, he outlined how his daughter had hoped her father would come and rescue her during the assault.

The court was told that she initially pretended to be asleep when the abuse began but then cried out for help.

The perpetrator comforted her before resuming the abuse a short time later.

Judge Rory McCabe heard that the man had reached across his own daughter, who was sleeping beside the victim, to carry out the assault.

He told gardaí he did not remember committing the offence, as he was intoxicated at the time but he conceded in interviews that a six-year-old girl could not make up such a story and, on that basis, admitted guilt.

The victim had spent the day at her friend's house and after her birthday party she was invited for a sleepover.

The court heard that sleeping arrangements involved a double and single bed pushed together, where the abuser, his partner and their three children slept together. This was where the offences occurred.

An investigating garda said the assault persisted for around 30 minutes. While there was no forensic evidence to support the allegations, the accused accepted something must have happened.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault.

The victim's father said every child deserved the right to feel safe in their own bed but that this had been stolen from his daughter.

He said she still whimpered in her sleep and that he could not comfort her by telling her monsters did not exist because she knew that they did.

He detailed the impact the incident had on his family and told how it had left him and his wife questioning every decision they had ever made as parents.

He concluded his statement with the words of his daughter, who said the accused "hurt me a lot... made me scared...It's like being tortured".

The court heard the man had no previous convictions and that he was horrified and ashamed for what he had done.

He wished to express his sincere sorrow for the pain and suffering he had caused.

His partner told the court how she was standing by him and said he was a "kind, loving and warm" father to their three children.

A Probation Service report said there was a low risk of the man reoffending.

Judge Rory McCabe described the assault as very serious and said it had a most traumatic impact on the victim.

He said the interests of justice required a custodial sentence and he imposed a three-year jail term.

Judge McCabe said he would defer how this sentence would be structured for a 12-month period, pending the completion of a report by the Probation Service.

In the meantime the man must adhere to a number of conditions, including complete abstinence from drink and drugs, regular contact with gardaí regarding his place of residence and must cooperate fully with probation officers.