Jail for man who terrorised ex wife and her son at their Limerick home

Court told defendant locked his former partner inside her bedroom, and told her ‘you can jump from your window’

Published 30th May 2026, 08:00 BST Limerick Courthouse, Mulgrave Street Court told defendant locked his former partner inside her bedroom, and told her ‘you can jump from your window’ A man has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for trapping his ex-wife in her home on the outskirts of Limerick city.

Prosecuting Barrister for the State John O’Sullivan told Limerick Circuit Court that there was “domestic unrest” between the pair leading up to the offence, and that the victim obtained a barring order against the man. The perpetrator cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victim - who was previously married to the man.

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The court heard that despite the pair being split up, the man would mow the lawn. However, he was not welcome in the house, and “was in substance a trespasser”.

The woman had uncovered a significant number of vodka bottles on the property. The man became more intoxicated as the day went on, and became aggressive towards the woman and her son.

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The court heard the man suffers from diabetes, and the woman did not like him to drink. Despite this, the man had been drinking when he entered the home.

Upon entering the house, he cut off the internet and electricity. The man locked his partner inside her bedroom, and told her “you can jump from your window”. The man trapped her inside by sticking the drill point in the keyhole. He further taunted her: “I close you in prison, you won’t get out. ”

The woman’s son - who was in the house at the time of the offence - tried to kick open the door, but to no avail. Gardaí arrived at the scene two hours later and were able to take the drill from the keyhole using pliers. The man was then arrested that night.

The man has a number of previous convictions, including one for drink driving and eight previous instances of breaching a barring order. Several years prior to the offence, the man set fire to the woman’s door.

Imposing sentence, Judge Colin Daly said the man “terrorised the victim and her son”.

The judge, considering his sentence, said the man had not come to adverse attention for two years, and that there is now a better relationship between him and the family. Judge Daly said a mitigatory factor in his sentencing was the man’s guilty plea.

The judge convicted and sentenced the man to a three-year sentence for false imprisonment - with the final year suspended for a period of three years.

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