Jail for vicious assault on former partner
A 58-year-old man who carried out a "vicious" assault on his partner while on bail for breaching a safety order, has received a six-month prison sentence.
The man punched the woman, pulled her hair and called her degrading names during the incidents at a property shared by the former couple, Galway District Court heard.
The man pleaded guilty to charges of contravening domestic violence orders and one offence of assault.
Sergeant Claire Heneghan told the court a safety order was in place when the man, who had been drinking, knocked on the woman's door shortly after midnight on November 13, 2025, and started calling her "insulting and degrading names".
The man was on bail and intoxicated when on February 14, 2026, he again called the victim degrading names, putting her in fear.
Sergeant Heneghan said a further incident occurred on February 21 when, at around 10pm, the man spat at his former partner, punched her and pulled her hair.
The court was told the man went into custody after a court appearance on February 22.
The accused has six previous convictions, mostly for road traffic offences and none for domestic violence.
Defence barrister, Ernie White BL, said his client, who is originally from Poland, was in a relationship with the woman for 15 years.
Mr White said the former couple still lived together, with his client staying upstairs and his ex-partner residing downstairs.
Mr White said his client still paid the rent and Judge Valerie Corcoran replied: "Isn't he wonderful?"
Counsel said the man apologised for what happened and instructed that his behaviour "is down to alcohol.”
Judge Corcoran imposed a €500 fine for the November 2025 offences and a one-month prison sentence for the second breach of the order, committed while on bail.
She further imposed a consecutive five-months sentence for the assault charge and a concurrent five-months term for the breach of the order offence.
“It was a vicious assault on his former partner at a time when he was on bail,” she added.
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.