Donegal man jailed after 'brutal' and 'reckless' assaults on girlfriend

A Donegal man has been jailed after subjecting his then girlfriend to two assaults described as ‘very brutal’ and ‘reckless’.

Sean Deery kicked Samantha Carr and knocked her unconscious in one assault and the woman was struck on the hair with a chair on another occasion.

Deery aged 33, of Glenfin Court, Ballybofey, was before Letterkenny Circuit Court this week.

In one attack, Deery kicked Ms Carr so hard that when she went to protect herself he fractured her index finger, which remains broken such was the force.

Ms Carr was knocked unconscious during the course of the beating.

“This was a very serious and brutal assault on a harmless woman,” Judge John Aylmer said.

Judge Aylmer said he placed the first offence of assault causing harm at the upper end of the scale of such offences and one which merited a sentence of four years before mitigation

He placed another charge of coercive control over Ms Carr during a six week period between January 1st, 2020 and February 12th, 2020, also merited a sentence of 18 months before mitigation.

Deery also pleaded guilty to another assault on Ms Carr which took place on February 10th, 2020.

On that occasion, Deery kicked his victim in the head and struck her on the head with a chair.

Judge Aylmer said medical consultant Dr Gerry Lane's report report listed the injuries she received and that he also viewed pictures of Ms Carr following the incident.

"She received a terrible beating about the head and body suffering multiple bruising," he said. “It was a reckless assault’.

Deery, wearing a grey jumper and black jeans, sat with his head bowed and eyes closed as Judge Aylmer delivered his sentencing.

Judge Aylmer also placed this at the upper end of the scale and one which also merited a sentence of four years before mitigation.

In mitigation, he said that Deery had pleaded guilty and that his previous convictions were for minor offences such as possession of a small amount of drugs and criminal damage.

He added that, while Deery does not suffer from mental illness, he does have psychological issues compounded by alcohol abuse.

Judge Aylmer recognised that Deery attended Whiteoaks Rehabilitation Centre and had also completed a Choice Programme.

However, this was not enough for the court to deal with the charges by way of a non-custodial sentence, he said.

Each sentence for assault causing harm was reduced to three years with the sentences to run consecutively. The sentence for coercive control was reduced to one year, to run concurrently.

Judge Aylmer suspended the final two years of the overall sentence meaning Deery will serve four years in prison.

He also ordered the sentence to be backdated to when Deery went into custody.