Former trainee solicitor jailed for four years for domestic assaults

Kevin McDaid, with an address at Hillview, Buncrana, Co.Donegal, pleaded guilty to 10 assaults on his girlfriend over a six months period.

The charges include assault occasioning actual bodily harm; common assault; making a threat to kill; criminal damage and false imprisonment.

Jailing McDaid, Derry Crown Court Judge, Philip Babington, said: “This was a very serious violence in a setting where the victim should have expected to be respected and cherished.”

He said the 32-years-old did not show ‘very much mercy’ towards the victim.

“All relationships can have moments of difficulty, but there is never an excuse for a man to lift his hand to a woman.

“Domestic violence of this nature is not acceptable in modern life.”

The court had heard that the former couple began their relationship in September, 2016, and moved in together in February, 2017.

Shortly after they moved in together the relationship deteriorated.

The fist incident of physical violence occurred in May that year when McDaid grabbed the woman by the throat and spat on her.

On another occasion he pulled her off a sofa by the hair, causing her to bang her head off the ground. The defendant then kicked her causing her to sustain swelling and bruising to the head and body.

During further assaults, McDaid hit his girlfriend on the face with her phone; struck her on the legs with a wire coat hanger and punched her in the face.

The defendant also struck her with a shoe and threw the contents of a takeaway meal over her. In November 2017, McDaid hit her on the leg with a pipe from a vacuum cleaner, stamped on her chest, hit her on the arm with a bottle and hit her on the head with a wooden drawer.

Judge Babington imposed a determinate sentence of four years, half of which will be spent in custody and half on licence plus a Restraining Order for five years.

Following the sentencing, PSNI Detective Sergeant Colin Neill said: “Domestic abuse is a terrifying crime which has a long lasting impact on survivors. It takes a lot of strength and fortitude to come forward and make a complaint and to see that complaint through the criminal justice system.

“I hope anyone who is currently suffering is assured that they can come forward and speak to us and that detectives in PSNI’s Public Protection Branch will treat you with sensitivity and respect.”