A Cork electrician (34) who attacked his former girlfriend, her sister and her mother with a stun gun was jailed for six years today.
Aidan Horan of Greenwood Estate, Togher, Cork, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Olive Newman; her mother, Geraldine; and sister Ms Fiona Flaherty. He also entered a guilty plea to charges of criminal damage and false imprisonment.
Cork Circuit Criminal Court was told the part-time bouncer broke up with his partner Ms Olive Newman on October, 7th 2001.
On the October 30th, Ms Olive Newman rang the accused to arrange a time for him to pick up the couple's two-year-old daughter. An argument developed on the phone and within ten minutes Horan arrived at Ms Olive Newman's mother's house in Cork.
Sgt Colm O'Sullivan said Horan came to the house armed with a baseball bat, a battery-operated stun gun and two knives. He physically assaulted Ms Olive Newman as she was holding the couple's baby daughter in her arms.
Horan produced a stun gun and used it on Ms Newman's sister, Ms Flaherty. He then entered Ms Geraldine Newman's bedroom and hit her with the gun while she was sitting on a bed.
Sgt O'Sullivan said in the course of the 45-minute attack Horan used the stun gun on all three women. "It was a traumatic experience for all of them. He was exceptionally violent in the bedroom," Sgt O'Sullivan said.
Defence counsel Mr John Bracken said his client has stayed away from the injured parties in the year since the attack occurred. He applied for an adjournment of sentencing to allow Mr Horan to attend a Men Overcoming Violence group.
However, Judge Sean O'Donnabhain said to agree to an adjournment in the case would be a dereliction of his duty. He sentenced Mr Horan to six years' imprisonment and ordered the stun gun and baseball bat be destroyed.