’Vibe of volatility’: violent offender who attacked ex with hoover pole has jail sentence cut - Courts News Ireland

A violent offender with a “vibe of volatility” who attacked his ex-partner with a hoover pole and threatened to kill a garda has had his jail sentence reduced by three months on appeal. At the District Court Appeals Court last week, Judge Alec Gabbett said that the defendant had a “vibe of volatility” and that suspending a portion of his

A violent offender with a “vibe of volatility” who attacked his ex-partner with a hoover pole and threatened to kill a garda has had his jail sentence reduced by three months on appeal.

At the District Court Appeals Court last week, Judge Alec Gabbett said that the defendant had a “vibe of volatility” and that suspending a portion of his sentence for two years would give the injured party a sense of protection.

The man was convicted in the District Court of assault, four instances of criminal damage, four breaches of a safety order, obstruction, using threatening and abusive behaviour and threatening to kill. In total the appellant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received a jail term of 18 months and later lodged an appeal against the severity of his sentence.

Garda Patrick Roche told the appeal court that on March 12, 2022, he spoke to the injured party, who said that the appellant had assaulted her while she was cleaning the house.

He said she reported that the man had hit the victim a number of times in the face and struck her body with the pole of a hoover.

The witness said that the appellant had also thrown a tin of paint over a wall, which was still wet and dripping when he arrived. He had also struck a light bulb with the hoover pole during the incident.

Garda Roche said that when they went to arrest the man in another house, he tried to climb out a kitchen window.

Garda Fergal Dempsey said that on January 18, 2023, he responded to a call where the injured party reported that the man had arrived at her home and began screaming and shouting, putting her in fear.

He said that the appellant had begun smashing the door, which was removed from its hinges and needed to be repaired.

Garda Roche also said that on another occasion, the man had banged on his former partner’s door while she had a safety order in place and pulled a Ring doorbell camera off the wall.

He said that CCTV also showed the man kicking the victim’s car in the driveway.

Garda Elaine Markham said that in another incident on October 29, 2024, the man stood outside the victim’s house for 20 minutes. The injured party had said that this was an attempt to intimidate her and that she felt as though she was becoming a prisoner in her own home.

Gda Markham said that during a separate matter in July 2025, she attempted to arrest the man when she discovered he had three live bench warrants.

She said that he became irate and abusive, shouting obscenities to gardai and resisting arrest.

Gda Markham said that the appellant shouted at her in the patrol car, saying: “I’m going to kill that guard”, “Nothing but a lesbian” and that no man would ever touch her.

Garda Markham said that the appellant has 91 previous convictions including those for criminal damage, assault and public order offences.

Defence counsel for the man, Lydia Daly BL, said that both parties have new partners now and that there have been no breaches in the last six months.

She said that the appellant had completed an outreach program in Liverpool and is on social welfare.

Ms Daly said that her client pleaded guilty in the District Court and that he is willing to do courses such as MOVE (Men Overcoming Violent Emotions).

Judge Gabbett said it seemed there had been a “very acrimonious” break up and that the injured party felt she had become a prisoner in her own home due to the appellant’s controlling influence on where they had lived.

He said he got the impression that the man had a temper he found hard to control and that he had a “vibe of volatility and unpredictability”.

The judge said that the appellant’s behaviour was entirely unacceptable and that if he does not leave the woman alone, he will be “bouncing in and out of prison”.

He said that there was a “firecracker situation” with the man and that he had to let the woman go.

Judge Gabbett said it was a pity there was no probation report before the court and that he would imagine that the man was still at a high risk of reoffending.

He said he was aware that the incident was committed in front of children and was a serious assault in a domestic environment, which results in higher sentences.

The judge said that the appellant’s previous history of assault is indicative of “quite a violent person” and, when things don’t go his way, he “gets aggressive: whoever gets in his way gets it”.

He said the appellant is “just not getting the message” and that there was a merit in suspending part of the sentence to give the injured party a sense of protection and peace of mind.

Judge Gabbett decided to suspend a month of one three-month sentence and two months of a nine-month sentence, ultimately reducing the overall jail term from 18 months to 15 months.

The man entered a bond to keep the peace and attend a course at MOVE Ireland over the period of two years.