A man who kicked his former partner in the face during an attack and told her that it was “her execution” has been jailed for five years.
Barry O’Donoghue (38), of Mourne Road, Drimnagh, was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of assault causing harm and threating to kill or cause serious harm at his address between October 20th and 21st, 2016.
Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced O’Donoghue to 5½ years imprisonment for the threat to kill and three years imprisonment for the assault. She said the sentences would run concurrently.
Judge Sheahan suspended the final six months of the sentence for a period of 12 months post release, on condition that O’Donoghue keep the peace and be of good behaviour for that period, follow directions of the Probation Service and engage in anger management. She also ordered the accused to make no contact with the injured party, save through solicitors.
Garda Keith O’Brien told Ronan Prendergast BL, prosecuting, that a confrontation began between O’Donoghue and his former partner in his house on the date in question.
‘Evil’
The garda said that when the woman tried to open the front door she was knocked to the ground by O’Donoghue, who started to punch her and shouted that “she was only ever evil to him”. He said O’Donoghue raised his right foot and kicked her in the face with full force before bringing her into the kitchen and continuing to beat her there.
Garda O’Brien said O’Donoghue told the woman he had been planning the attack and that she was going to die. He said that “tonight was her execution” and asked if she would like to be shot.
He was holding a bread knife in his hand while making the threats, the court heard. The woman left the house while he was asleep and contacted gardaí.
O’Donoghue, a Co Carlow native, has no previous convictions and has been in custody since his conviction by a jury on February 7th last.
In her victim impact statement, the woman said she had to have surgery to repair her eye and that she had nerve damage to the left side of her face. She said she did not know how she made it out of that night alive.
She said she had a recurring nightmare in which she saw her gravestone with the date October 20th, which then disappears and she hears O’Donoghue’s voice telling her he would bury her where no one would find her.
‘Don’t buy it’
The woman said she feared he would seek revenge due to her reporting what he did to her. After reading a letter of apology written by O’Donoghue, she said “I don’t buy it”.
Breffni Gordon BL, defending, said his client came from an “impeccable background”. He said the court could infer this would be O’Donoghue’s “last offence” due to his age and his lack of any previous convictions.
Judge Sheahan said the court did not accept that the accused accepted responsibility for his actions as he appeared to maintain his version of events that he injured the woman recklessly. She said that the failure for him to acknowledge his actual behaviour did not show remorse or insight.