A 40-year-old Dublin man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for assaulting his former partner, including choking her and striking her with a bicycle. The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm on a date in February 2025.
On Monday, Judge Dara Hayes imposed a headline sentence of seven years but reduced it to five years after considering mitigating factors. The final 18 months of the sentence were suspended, resulting in an effective custodial term of three and a half years. A separate charge of breaching a safety order was taken into consideration. The sentence has been backdated to November 2025 to reflect time already spent in custody.
The court heard that the woman and the couple’s child had been visiting the man’s home for a scheduled weekend stay beginning Friday, February 21, 2025. While the initial evening passed without incident, tensions escalated the following day when the man began shouting at the woman. By Sunday, his behaviour had become increasingly volatile, with repeated references to family law matters.
At one point, the woman retreated to a spare room in an attempt to defuse the situation, but the man followed her. She told him he was a good father, but he misinterpreted her comment as questioning his paternity. The court heard that he spat in her face twice, dragged her to the ground by her hair and wrapped his arm around her neck, choking her. She later described feeling as though her face was about to “explode” before he released his grip when her face turned red. He then kicked her in the leg and struck her with a nearby bicycle.
The man also threatened that if he had a knife, he would have stabbed her. Despite the assault, the woman remained in the house until the following day, fearing that any attempt to leave would provoke further violence.
She sustained a cut to her chin and visible marks to her face. After attending her GP several days later, she reported the incident to An Garda Síochána. During police interviews, the accused answered questions, but no admissions of evidential value were obtained.
The court was told that the man has 82 previous convictions, including four for making threats to kill or cause serious harm, 27 for public order offences, as well as convictions relating to drugs and criminal damage. Five prior convictions under the Domestic Violence Act relate to a different injured party — his father — and include breaches of safety orders.
In a victim impact statement, the woman described being “tormented and persecuted with such cruelty” and said she endured “four days of hell.” Judge Hayes noted that the offending had a significant and ongoing impact on her.
Mitigating factors included the man’s early guilty plea, his employment history, expressions of remorse and efforts toward rehabilitation, including attempts to rebuild family relationships. The court also heard that he had previously suffered a head injury in an unrelated attack, has been diagnosed with epilepsy and has experienced periods of homelessness.
A probation report assessed him as being at high risk of reoffending. The man has longstanding addiction issues but told the court he is now drug- and alcohol-free. While in custody, he has been placed on an enhanced regime, is working as a cleaner and is due to complete an alternatives-to-violence programme.
In sentencing, Judge Hayes described the woman as the “victim of an unprovoked and serious assault.” He emphasised the significant element of choking involved and noted that the assault occurred over a sustained period. It was also considered aggravating that the offence took place within an intimate relationship and in the presence of the couple’s child, though there was no evidence the child witnessed the attack.
The judge further remarked that the accused’s prior convictions for breaching safety orders demonstrated “a history of disregard of court orders designed to protect against such behaviour.”
The man will remain under the supervision of the Probation Service following his release.
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