No jail for man who attacked his ex in front of children

A MAN who chased a former partner into a local community centre with a broken brush handle and attacked her in front of children has received a fully suspended sentence.

Liam Byrne, 37, pulled a knife from a kitchen drawer and threatened to kill the woman after he had invited her to his home, a court heard.

Garda Louise Moran said the woman managed to escape when Byrne’s mother intervened, but he snapped a brush handle and chased her down the road.

The woman later told gardaí how Byrne had made stabbing motions at her with this brush. She ran into a nearby community centre dressing rooms, where Byrne hit her in front of children and threatened to kill her. He left when his mother again arrived on the scene.

Garda Moran told Diana Stuart, prosecuting, the woman was too embarrassed to seek treatment for her injuries, which included extensive bruising, marks from the brush handle and lumps on her head.

The woman handed a letter to the court in which she said she did not want Byrne to receive a prison sentence and she said he was getting on well with their daughter.

She told the court she was prepared to forgive him for what he did provided he stays on the right path.

The garda agreed with Kenneth Kerins, defending, the woman had been worried about Byrne’s mental health and had told his mother. She further agreed his family had attempted to hospitalise him the day before but he refused to go.

Mr Kerins told Judge Martin Nolan his client had a difficult upbringing and said his father had been murdered.

Byrne, of Mariners Port, Dublin, admitted at the city’s Circuit Criminal Court to causing harm and threats to kill on May 16, 2018.

His 32 previous convictions include road traffic matters, drugs offences and attempted robbery. Judge Nolan sentenced him to 21 months in prison, fully suspended.