AN Inverclyde man has been jailed for having sex with his daughter and allegedly fathering her child.

He appeared at Greenock Sheriff Court to plead guilty to incest with the woman, who was a teenager at the time of the sickening offence five years ago.

The indictment against him stated that the offence happened at a flat in Port Glasgow between 1 July and 30 September 2009.

The 54-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, will now serve three years and 10 months in prison.

He will then be supervised for a further three years upon his release and has also been placed on the sex offenders register.

Offering mitigation, his QC Thomas Ross referred to background reports on his client and said: “He has a certain number of convictions which do him no credit, but none related to sexual offences.

“He has said other things about the relationship that I choose not to advance in mitigation.

“It seems that some of the comments made by him said that there had not been a normal father and daughter relationship.

“He also expresses to the social worker that there had been remarks that another individual may be the father of the child.

“It’s a bad offence, no doubt.

“He comes before your lordship with certain disadvantages.” Mr Ross said the man, now living in Glasgow, had a difficult childhood and suffered from ‘anxiety and depression’.

Sentencing, Sheriff Derek Hamilton criticised the accused’s role as a dad and added: “As Mr Ross concedes, you failed spectacularly at that.” He said there were ‘good medical and social reasons’ why sexual relations should not take place between close family members.

The sheriff added: “Your actions here have perpetuated enduring harm to your daughter and potentially to the child.

“In your case I’m going to impose an extended sentence.”