Man jailed for beating former partner during a ‘fit of jealousy’

A 26-year-old man who beat up his former partner in a fit of jealousy has been jailed for two years.

Shane Westwood punched the woman repeatedly in the head, dragged her around her flat and threatened to stab her, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Westwood, of Clifden Drive, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty last November to assault causing harm to the woman in Dublin city centre on March 29th, 2018.

Det Garda Louise Moran told prosecuting counsel Simon Matthews BL that she responded to an emergency call and met the woman as she was being taken into an ambulance. Det Moran said the victim was dazed and shocked, had bruising to her forehead and was bleeding from her ear. She told gardaí that she had been attacked by her former partner and had blacked out slightly.

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Gardaí later spoke to the woman and she described how she came home to her flat to find Westwood there. She said he began shouting, calling her a slut and claiming she’d had someone else in her flat only a few days after they split up. He began punching her repeatedly and then took a knife from the kitchen and dragged her into the hallway. He said he was going to stab her and anyone else.

Bite to face

The woman said that at one point Westwood had his legs on her ribs and was holding her hands down and bit her face. She told gardaí she was very scared and worried that something very serious was going to happen. She said at one point the accused was trying to smother her with his hand and that she was begging him to stop.

Gardaí went to Westwood’s mother’s home and found him hiding under a bed. He denied assaulting the victim and said they had a row but it was just shouting and was not serious.

Keith Spencer BL, defending, said his client had been struggling at the time with drug addiction and was not in his right mind. He said the victim had recently ended their relationship because Westwood had ignored her repeated requests for him to go into drug treatment. He said his client was in a fit of jealousy when he attacked the woman.

The court heard Westwood’s 19 previous convictions were for offences including drug dealing and burglary.

Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to three years in prison but suspended the final 12 months on condition that he keep the peace for the three years. She also ordered that he engage with probation services in relation to anger management and drug treatment.