A man who assaulted his partner forcing her to lock herself in a bathroom “through fear” has been sentenced to four months in prison.
At a previous hearing, court was told that during the then alleged incident the 31-year-old “dragged her by the hair from the sofa and stamped repeatedly on her head, kicked her in the face, head and body, put his hands around her throat and squeezed to the point that she was struggling to breathe, slamming the back of her head against the wall”.
Kevin Barry Grimley, of no fixed abode, appeared for sentencing on criminal damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry, on Tuesday.
None of the facts in the case were heard, however, the particulars outlined that the offences occurred on March 17 and the criminal damage refers to a plate.
A previous court heard how the injured party “locked herself in the bathroom through fear” after her partner, the defendant, attacked her in the early hours of St Patrick’s Day
On that occasion, court was told that during the then alleged incident Grimley “dragged her by the hair from the sofa and stamped repeatedly on her head, kicked her in the face, head and body, put his hands around her throat and squeezed to the point that she was struggling to breathe, slamming the back of her head against the wall”.
Giving evidence to the court a police officer described how the complainant made a “whispered” call to the police at 4.40am to report that Grimley had attacked her, adding that when officers arrived, they noted “injuries consistent with her account”.
Defence barrister Conor Coulter accepted that his client had tried to “deflect” his culpability blaming his consumption of drugs and alcohol.
However, he stated that Grimley accepted the facts of the case and that his behaviour towards the injured party was “abhorrent”.
Mr Coulter added that the two parties had since moved on, with “separate lives in separate towns”.
District Judge Bernie Kelly stated: “Mr Grimley this was a nasty incident….you don’t have a great record from criminal damage and you have one previous for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
“I have read the presentence report and you have not given me many options.”
The defendant was sentenced to four months in prison and a restraining order was put in place for a period of two years.
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