A Limerick mother-of-two thought she would be killed when her partner attacked her in a drunken rage.
Limerick Circuit Court heard that the man in his late 20s admitted charges of assault and threatening to kill his former partner.
Garda Colum O’Shea told Judge Tom O’Donnell that he was on duty on St Stephen’s night in 2014 when he was alerted to a disturbance on the Northside of the city.
On arrival to the house, he was met by a woman who was distressed and had signs of bruising under her eye.
She said she had been badly beaten by her partner in a prolonged attack after they returned home from a night out socialising with family and friends.Their celebrations were cut short when one of the man’s relatives was ejected from a bar over a row.
When they arrived home, her former partner began drinking again. He threw a can of cider at her and tossed the contents of her handbag on the floor before smashing her phone with his foot.
The woman was struck several times, had her clothes ripped off, was punched and kicked in the ribs and head before he dragged her in to bathroom and shoved her in the shower where he pulled down the curtain pole and kicking her on the legs.
She thought he was going to kill her as he turned on the shower, threw shower gel over her and locked the bathroom door leaving her in the dark.
He returned a short time later, threw clothes at her and forced her to the bedroom. He called her “a tramp and whore” as he kicked and elbowed her as lay beside her. He said he would “fix her” as he used his two fists to punch her to the ground.
The attack was halted when Gardaí were alerted by a concerned neighbour but by that stage the woman had suffered a fracture to her cheekbone, two broken ribs and extensive bruising.
The couple separated and their planned wedding was cancelled.
The man later told Gardaí he lost control and was undergoing anger management classes.
In her victim impact statement, the young mother said her life totally changed.
“I was incapable of caring for my children and I felt degraded. I felt shame and worthlessness for letting it happen. I used to be independent and confident but now I fear it will happen again and I’m worried for my safety. I had to move house but I still fear isolated and still suffer to this day.
Judge O’Donnell described the beating as an appalling attack and one of the worst he had heard.
“The victim considers herself somewhat to blame for the attack but the reality is that there could be nothing further from the truth. She was faultless and did nothing wrong,” he said.
The case was adjourned for sentencing to December 7.
