Assault: Nenagh woman was punched and dragged down the stairs by her assailant

A man who assaulted a woman later barricaded himself into a house by blocking a door with a fridge, resulting in members of the Garda Armed Support Unit being called, Nenagh Circuit Court was told.

Paul Whelan, 25, of Oak Court Park, Palmerstown, Dublin, pleaded to assault and criminal damage at William Street, Nenagh, and Nenagh Garda station on September 27, 2020.

Garda Sandra Gartlan told the court she attended the scene of a domestic violence incident at William Street, Nenagh, in the early hours of September 27. One of the occupants of the house was in a relationship with the defendant.

Paramedics were on the scene, and one of those present, Hope Morrissey, alleged a knife had been used to inflict injuries on her. She had red marks to her jaw and chest and a laceration on her scalp.

As well as attacking her with a knife, Ms Morrissey alleged that Mr Whelan had damaged her mobile phone and barricaded himself into the property.

Garda Gartlan said another woman who was in a romantic relationship with the defendant was unwilling to engage with her on the night. It was subsequently alleged that this woman sustained a lump on her forehead after being struck with an iron workout bar.

Garda Gartlan said Mr Whelan used a fridge to barricade himself into the property and had damaged it, causing damage amounting to €649.

Members of the Garda Armed Support Unit were called in as the defendant was suspected to be armed with a knife and was under the influence of an intoxicant.

During the incident, he was calling members of Morrissey family present “rats”.

Garda Gartlan said the defendant subsequently began to co-operate at the scene after calling her to the front door of the barricaded property.

She then arrested him under the Criminal Damages Act and conveyed him to Nenagh Garda Station, where he stated that he had acted in self-defence earlier in the house.

He admitted punching Ms Morrissey and dragging her down the stairs.

He said he had lost the head and that he had threatened Ms Morrissey with a knife and dragged her out of the house. He also admitted dragging the fridge to the door to barricade himself into the property from members of the Morrissey family.

Garda Gartlan said that while in the station, Mr Whelan ripped a mattress in his cell, urinated in the cell and caused €749 of damages.

He had a total of 68 previous convictions, including two for possession of a knife, 11 for breaches of public order and one for assault causing harm. He had served nine months of prison sentence handed down at a court in Wexford even though the sentence was a suspended one - he had been unable to secure the surety required for his release from custody.

In reply to Kenny Kerins, BL, for Mr Whelan, Garda Gartlan said she did not believe there had been any contact between the defendant and members of the Morrissey family since the incident and he was no longer in a relationship with a member of the family.

She accepted he was under the influence of an intoxicant on the night and had acted irrationally.

Mr Kerins handed in a letter the defendant had written in which he apologised to Ms Morrissey for what had happened.

He had been suffering at the time because his mother had been diagnosed with stage four cancer and he had a drug debt and felt scared and isolated.

Mr Kerins said his client was serving a jail sentence in Cloverhill since June of this year and was on a waiting list to get help for his drug addiction.

Judge Cormac Quinn noted that the defendant had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Ms Morrissey and to criminal damage at William Street and in the Garda station.

The judge imposed jail sentences totalling two-and-a-half-years, suspending the final nine months.

He ordered the defendant to enter a bond in the sum of €200 to be of good behaviour while in prison and for nine months after his release.

He said Mr Whelan was to have no contact with Hope Morrissey during the same period.