Man told ex-partner he planned to attack her for two years, court hears

A Dublin man convicted of assaulting and threatening to kill his former partner told her he spent two years planning to attack her.

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 20th and 21st, 2016.

He was acquitted of falsely imprisoning her and making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to another woman at the same locations. He had denied all charges against him and has no previous convictions.

During a 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”.

Under cross-examination she told Breffni Gordon BL, defending, that she did not 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 sentencing in April. She ordered a psychologist’s report to be completed for that date.