A COURT has been told of how a man threw bleach into a woman’s eyes and attempted to strangle her with a mobile phone charger chord while falsely imprisoning her in a flat in Limerick City.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, also repeatedly punched the woman and stabbed her with a car key during the ordeal three years ago.
On the opening day of his trial at Limerick Circuit court today (Tuesday), the man pleaded guilty to five of 13 charges arising out of the attack.
Prosecuting counsel John O’Sullivan said the man repeatedly punched and stabbed the woman with a car key outside a flat in Limerick City on July 18, 2022.
Mr O’Sullivan added that the man falsely imprisoned the victim inside the flat and “attempted to strangle her with a chord from a mobile phone charger”.
He also assaulted the woman with a tweezers and bleach.
The man pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment, assault causing harm, and producing items capable of inflicting injury during the course of the attack.
“All of this is accepted on a full facts basis and it is acknowledged that the prosecution has entered a noelle prosequi on a charge of assault causing serious harm,” Mr O’Sullivan explained.
He said the victim, who was supported in court by members of her family, was ready and willing to give evidence in the trial, but she was no longer required to do this, following the man’s guilty plea.
Discharging the jury of seven men and five women, Judge Tom O’Donnell, told them: “Given the nature of the case, I understand that some of you might have found some of the facts distressing.
Imposing reporting restrictions Judge O’Donnell said: “I’m going to direct that the name of the accused and the victim not be disclosed at this time.”
He ordered the man to undergo a psychiatric assessment and remanded him in continuing custody to appear before Limerick Circuit Court for sentencing on July 28.
