Louth man jailed for attacking his partner

A 31 year old man who attacked his then partner on four separate occasions was jailed for four years at Dundalk Circuit Court last week.

Karl Kearns with an address at Rockfield, Stoney Lane, Ardee admitted assault causing harm, production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury, criminal damage and false imprisonment, arising out of four separate incidents over a 12 month period.

Judge Dara Hayes heard how the defendant had been living with the woman in a flat in the Ardee area and the first investigation began after he got her in a choke hold and took her phone on November 3rd 2020, when he used a broken brush to strike her on the left thigh.

On May 23rd last year, the victim had been cooking dinner when she asked Karl Kearns not to drink too much.

When the meal was ready, he told her she should not eat and took her plate and threw it against the wall and put her in a choke hold and told her he was going to throw her mobile phone in the river.

On another occasion, he locked out the injured party and spat food out the window on her before eventually letting her in and dragging the woman to the floor, while screaming at her.

In September last year, the defendant picked up and threw the victim's purse at her, hitting her hand and drawing blood.

He fainted on seeing the blood and the woman has been left with an L-shaped scar on the back of her left index finger.

The court also heard on October 30th or 31st last, the defendant had accused the woman of looking at other men in the pub,and dragged her to the ground and pulled her into her home, where he head butted and punched her.

He stood on her and kicked her and she was left with bruising and swelling about the head and eye sockets and the victim, now wears glasses as one eye was slightly impaired.

Judge Dara Hayes imposed sentences totalling five and a half years with the final 18 months suspended for five years.

As a condition of the suspended portion of his sentence, he must not communicate in any way with the victim while in prison and for five years after his release.

He must also remain under the supervision of the Probation service for 12 months post release.

The sentences were backdated to October 31st last year when he went into custody.