Man, 35, who punched and choked partner in front of her three small children is jailed

A man who assaulted his partner in front of her small children, choking her until she lost consciousness, has been jailed for three years.

Sentencing the 35-year-old Dublin man on Tuesday, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin said intimate partner violence is “a scourge in our society”.

The court heard the man assaulted his then fiancée when they were living in emergency accommodation in a Dublin hotel in February 2019 in front of her three small children. During this attack, the man punched the woman repeatedly and choked her until she lost consciousness.

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The man, who can't be named to protect the anonymity of the woman, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the woman at a Dublin hotel on February 2, 2019.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage to back door handles of the woman's home on July 5, 2020 when he was trying to gain entry to the home. The court heard the woman did not know how long she had been unconscious for and that she went to hospital and gardaí the next day. The pair broke up but reconciled briefly and the woman became pregnant.

She was feeding the baby in new accommodation in July 2020 when the man arrived at the back door and tried to gain entry. The older children were also present, the court heard. The woman eventually let the man in after he snapped the door handles. He said he was looking for his bank cards.

Judge Ní Chúlacháin said intimate partner violence was “particularly horrific”, involving someone you have put your trust in. She noted the woman couldn't swallow after the choking incident and was left with bruising and scratches in the aftermath.

The judge noted that as well as the physical injuries, the man caused “psychological and emotional harm” to the woman, who struggled to get help and was made to feel like she was a bad mother.

“Everything was taken from her,” the judge said. “Her confidence, self-worth and identity, her ability to connect with others.”

She said his appearance at her back door some 16 months later was “extremely intimidating”.

The judge noted the woman had to “disappear” and move house so nobody knows where she lives. “The blood drains from her face” when there is a knock on the door, the court heard.

The judge noted the man has 42 previous convictions including for possession of knives, theft, criminal damage and road traffic offences. He is now in a new relationship and helps care for his new partner's child.

In mitigation, the judge took into account the man's guilty pleas, the fact he now appears to be drug and alcohol free, is in employment and volunteers at his local football club.

She noted a probation report assessment which placed him at a moderate risk of re-offending in relation to an intimate partner offence.

The judge handed down consecutive sentences of three and two years for each offence. She suspended the final two years on a number of conditions, including that the man engage in a violent offender course while in custody.

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