A man threatened to make his ex-partner’s personal photographs public after he beat her up and she reported the attack to gardaí, a court has heard.
Dublin man Christopher Lenihan (28) held Grace Brady down and punched her repeatedly in the head during an attack in a room at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght on January 13th, 2017.
When the victim tried to get away from him, he pulled her back by grabbing her hair and pulling clumps of hair from her head, Garda Geraldine Ross told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
At one point during the attack, the victim couldn’t breath because Lenihan had his hands over her mouth to try to stop her screaming.
Ms Brady later told gardaí that Lenihan had flipped and was “like a mad man”. She said he had a terrifying look in his eyes and bit her arm during the attack.
Said sorry
The ordeal ended the next morning when Lenihan said he was sorry and Ms Brady convinced him to leave the room. Ms Brady then called hotel staff and gardaí came and arrested Lenihan.
Over the next two weeks Lenihan sent about 200 messages to the victim’s phone, ranging from apologetic pleading messages to abusive texts, Maurice Coffey BL, prosecuting, told the court.
He said that in one message, Lenihan threatened that “photos of a personal nature would be disseminated if matters didn’t go his way”.
Gda Ross said as well as the texts, there were numerous unanswered calls and emails. Ms Brady asked Lenihan to stop contacting her but he continued to harass her even after a warning from gardaí.
Gardaí arrested him at his home at Kellys Bay, Skerries, Co Dublin on January 31 and charged him with harassment.
Barring order
He subsequently pleaded guilty to false imprisonment of and assault causing harm to Ms Brady at the Plaza Hotel on January 13th, 2017. He also admitted harassing her on dates between January 13th and January 31st, 2017.
He has one previous conviction from February 2016 for breach of a barring order. The court heard that Lenihan had previously assaulted Ms Brady in January 2017, bruising her arm.
Ann Sheridan BL, defending, said Lenihan had alcohol abuse issues and could not recall the events on the night but was deeply apologetic for his actions.
Judge Melanie Greally said that Lenihan was undoubtedly facing a prison sentence. She adjourned the matter to July in order for the defence to show how he intends to address his drinking and “propensity for violence”.