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Dundalk man, Martin O'Riordan Jailed for assulting partner after funeral
A man who assaulted his girlfriend because he claimed she had kissed another man at a funeral was last week jailed for two years at Dundalk circuit criminal court.
The first assault by Martin O'Riordan (29) was at a bus stop in Balbriggan on the 1st May 2008 as the then couple were making their way home from the funeral.
The second assault took place at his girlfriend's home in the O'Hanlon Park area of Dundalk after they arrived home from Balbriggan.
Judge Donagh McDonagh was told that he punched and kicked her and when he left the house the following morning she went to the Louth County hospital.
When charged he told the gardai "we were at a funeral in Balbriggan. She was kissing another fella. I wasn't having any of it. I hit her."
She was treated for a head laceration and bruising and yesterday told the Judge, "I will be alright if I could just be left alone."
The Judge was told she was in fear of O'Riordan for herself and for her child and "I want to live in peace and be left alone."
His barrister Donough McDonough BL said he apologised and accepts that the relationship was over and was giving an undertaking to stay away from the injured party and her son.
He said O'Riordan is from Point Road, Bellurgan, county Louth and came from a very difficult background and is one of eleven children.
He has completed a course in anger management while on remand, he said.
O'Riordan entered a guilty plea just before a jury was due to be selected for his trial on the two charges of assault causing harm to his ex girlfriend.
Judge McDonagh imposed a four-year jail term backdated to June 2008, when he went into custody.
He will be released from serving the balance of the sentence this June if he meets a number of conditions set by the Judge.
These include completing a course on alternatives to violence while in prison.
However, he was warned that if he gets into any trouble in the five years from June he will serve the remaining two years of the sentence in custody.
He is also to stay away from his ex girlfriend and her child.
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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