Woman ‘ might be dead’ if no intervention over abuse

A WOMAN has told a court that she “might be dead or in a vegetative state” if doctors and gardai had not intervened to get her away from a violent and controlling partner.

During a 20- month relationship, the 52- year- old man repeatedly attacked the woman, including burning her foot, cutting her with a pizza slicer, headbutting her in the face and stamping on her arm causing multiple f ractures. On another occasion he stamped on her head and strangled her.

After being charged with these attacks, the man threatened to send explicit images of the victim to her family if she did not withdraw the charges.

Last November, a jury convicted the man of coercive control, intimidation, assault and 12 counts of assault causing harm following the first circuit court trial for offences under the 2018 Domestic Violence Act. The offences occurred at various locations, including the couple’s Dublin home, on dates between May 2018 and January 2020.

The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted the man of one charge of assault causing harm and one charge of endangerment, both alleged to have occurred in the same time period.

He had pleaded not guilty to all the offences.

Following the convictions, the man pleaded guilty to a separate charge of intending to pervert the course of justice. In her victim impact statement, read before the court by a detective garda, the woman said she would have gone back to the man if not for doctors and gardai removing her.

She said otherwise she “might be dead or in a vegetative state”.

Ju dge El ma S h e a han re manded the man in continuing custody and adjourned the matter for finalisation on January 19.