Man convicted of assaulting and threatening to kill former partner
By Aoife Nic Ardghail
A MAN convicted of assaulting and threatening to kill his former partner told her he spent two years planning her attack, the woman told a court.
Barry O’Donoghue (38) of Mourne Road, Drimnagh, was convicted of assaulting the woman, causing her harm and threatening to kill her at his address between October 20 and 21, 2016.
He was acquitted of falsely imprisoning her and making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to another woman at the same location and dates.
He had denied all charges against him and has no previous convictions.
During the five day trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the woman gave evidence that O’Donoghue knocked her to the ground, punched and hit her and kicked her in the eye.
She said O’Donoghue told her he had been planning for two years “to hurt me and to kill me”.
She also gave evidence that he threatened to “shoot her in the face so her mother won’t be able to have an open casket.”
The trial heard that the woman told gardai: “He knocked me to the ground and started to hit me and punch me.”
“He kicked me into the eye. It was full-force and there seemed to be no mercy in it.”
Under cross-examination she told Breffni Gordon BL, defending, that she didn’t call out for help to a food delivery man who called to the house because she was in fear.
Mr Gordon said his client’s account was that the woman “kicked off”, had to be restrained and, in the course of a struggle, “got a very bad bang”.
Judge Elma Sheahan remanded O’Donoghue in custody pending his sentence in April. She ordered a psychologist report for that date.
