A man who threatened to kill the mother of his child and burn down her apartment in front of their three-year-old daughter, has been jailed.
Chad Redmond (27) of Belclare Park, Ballymun, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault and criminal damage on February 24th, 2019 at an apartment in Finglas, north Dublin.
Garda Robert Diffney told Eoin Lawlor BL, prosecuting, that Redmond arrived at the apartment of his ex-girlfriend and said he was there to see their child.
He began shouting and banging on the door before kicking the door down. Redmond called his former partner a “rat” before grabbing her by the throat.
He dragged her to the bedroom where she was “slung around the room”, the court heard. Redmond told her that he would “kill her stone dead and burn the place down”.
Screaming toddler
Their young toddler was screaming at this point and Redmond began trying to take her from her mother. He then grabbed the victim by the right hand and started to twist it.
The woman then spoke into the intercom, pretending she was letting the gardaí up. Redmond fled but when he realised the gardaí were not there he tried to re-enter.
He had been on bail at the time of the offence and was arrested the following day.
In a victim impact statement the woman stated that she wanted to drop the charges as her main concern was to look after their daughter. She said that Redmond's mother was terminally ill and that she did not wish to add to their suffering.
Redmond has a number of previous convictions for burglary, criminal damage, public order and road traffic offences.
Cocaine
Seoirse O'Dúnlaing BL, defending, confirmed that Redmond had been under the influence of cocaine at the time of the incident. The court heard that the accused man’s father had passed away as a result of a terminal illness in 2018.
Judge Elma Sheahan described the facts as “disturbing” taking into account the fact that they involved a very young child being witness to her father’s “assault and a threat to kill” her mother.
She noted the serious nature of events which took place at the child's home where a child should feel safe.
Judge Sheahan said the offending was aggravated by the fact that the accused was on bail, he has similar convictions such as a burglary, and the fact the offending took place in the presence of a child.
She sentenced him to three and a half years, suspending the final nine months.
