Updated

The brother of Sinn Fein party leader Gerry Adams has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for repeatedly raping his daughter when she was aged 4 to 9.

Liam Adams, 58, laughed with prison guards as he was taken from Belfast Crown Court to begin his sentence Wednesday. His victim, Aine, now 40, watched from the public gallery and did not speak to reporters afterward.

She testified against her father after accusing Sinn Fein, and specifically her uncle Gerry, of trying to silence her and save the party embarrassment.

Gerry Adams testified he had known of the rape allegations since 1987 and confronted his brother, but did not tell police until 2007, the year that his Irish nationalist party abandoned its policy of refusing to cooperate with police.