A Dublin man with a history of violence against women, and who changed his identity when moving to west Clare, inflicted "a reign of terror" on his fourth female victim, a court has heard.
Scott Donegan (37) pleaded guilty at Ennis Circuit Court to the false imprisonment of an ex-partner during a four-hour ordeal at his home at Knockmore, Kilmilhil, Co Clare on November 9th last.
Named for the first time after reporting restrictions were lifted in the case, Scott Donegan also pleaded guilty to producing a knife at the same address on the same date contrary to Section 11 of the Offensive Weapons and Firearms Act.
In her victim impact statement, the Co Clare woman told the court that Scott Donegan “is a danger to society, and he has scarred and damaged me for life”.
The woman said that Donegan imposed “a reign of terror” on her during the four-hour ordeal on November 9th despite her begging him to stop.
Previous convictions
She said: “I believed that I would be killed by him and never see my children or family again.”
In evidence, Det Garda Donal Corkery told the court that four of Donegan’s previous convictions “are crimes of violence against women”.
Det Corkery said that the four convictions for assault are against three ex-partners when Mr Donegan went under the name of Paul McMenamy.
Det Corkery stated that the most serious is when the Tallaght native “viciously assaulted” his partner in February 2012 at the time resulting in extensive head-injuries and life changing injuries for the woman.
He told the court: “Prior to an ambulance being called, he left her with the injuries for 15 hours.”
Det Corkery said that McMenamy received a 10-year prison term with the final two years suspended for the Section 4 causing serious harm assault, and he was released from prison in February 2018.
Det Corkery said that “it was around this time that he changed his name to Scott Thomas Donegan by Deed Poll and moved to Miltown Malbay in west Clare”.
Identity change
Mr Donegan’s latest victim told the court that Donegan legally changed his name “to avoid his past being made apparent where he was convicted of assault on three previous partners the last of whom was left with a brain injury”.
Det Corkery said that the woman in the new case was unaware of Donegan’s past and commenced a relationship with him.
However, Det Corkery stated the woman ended the relationship after seeing another side to Donegan “and after learning some bits about his past and his criminal history”.
Det Corkery said Donegan couldn’t accept the relationship was over, and last year continued to bombard the woman with messages from various social media platforms and blackmailed her if she didn’t meet with him that he would tell the woman’s former partner that she had an affair with someone else towards the end of their relationship.
Det Corkery stated that the woman felt she had no choice but to go and meet him.
He stated that at Donegan’s home on November 9th last, Donegan took the mobile phone off her and forced her to sit in a chair “where she was frozen out of fear due to the aggressive behaviour of Mr Donegan”.
Det Corkery stated that Donegan ran at the woman with a knife and put her in fear.
The detective said Donegan then grabbed the woman by the throat and squeezed her wind-pipe.
He said that Donegan told her that he had a Glock hand-gun and a shot-gun.
Det Corkery said that Donegan appeared in court on November 15th last and has remained in custody since.
Counsel for Donegan, Patrick Whyms BL (instructed by solicitor Daragh Hassett) said that his client apologies to the victim and is extremely sorry for all of his offences outlined to court.
Mr Whyms said Donegan had gone forward to the circuit court on a signed guilty plea from the district court.
Mr Whyms said that Mr Donegan is in the early stages of a substantial period in custody but has been making the most of his time in prison by engaging with voluntary groups there and signing up for Leaving Cert courses as he left school when he was 14.
Mr Whyms said a report found that Mr Donegan is not diagnosed with any mental illness.
Threats
The woman in the case delivered her own victim impact statement in court.
She said that prior to November 9th last, “I was subjected to almost two weeks of harassment, stalking, him threatening suicide and threats made against me, my family and friends because I did not want to continue a relationship with him after the reality and gravity of his web of lies that had been told to me because apparent”.
The woman said that during the four-hour ordeal, “I have never thought it possible to experience fear like what I did on that night while he held a knife to me, put his hands on me and screamed in my face that he would butcher me”.
The woman said that “the psychological and emotional scars as a result of the trauma he has left with me are very real” and she suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and panic attacks.
She said: “I am left with the trauma, devalued and dehumanised by him.”
The woman said that she wakes up screaming from nightmares “where I can again can feel his hand on my neck, the spit from his mouth as he screamed in my face and him laughing at me taking pleasure as I begged him to stop while holding a knife to me while saying he was going to butcher me”.
Judge Francis Comerford said that there was a lot to consider in sentencing Mr Donegan and remanded him in custody to be sentenced on September 25th.
