A man who struck his wife with a livestock whip while she was holding an infant has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, with the final six months suspended, for coercive control. The 50-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a charge of coercive control after subjecting his wife to what the court described as 'relentless and torturous' physical and verbal abuse over two decades.
Details of the Abuse
The Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, Ireland, heard that over 20 years, the man punched the woman in the face, grabbed her by the throat, and knocked her to the ground while she was pregnant. He also used a livestock whip on her while she was holding their infant child. The victim told the hearing that he threatened to burn her in their home when she temporarily left him and he feared she might live in the house without him.
The Kerry man bombarded his wife with text messages that required immediate responses, and if she was 'allowed to go somewhere it came with conditions.' She described the daily experience as 'torture.' The man initially believed he was the victim, telling the probation service he was being blamed for everything, citing 'traditional values' and a family history of a short fuse. He has since expressed remorse.
Legal Context
The offences covered the period from January 1, 2019, to September 8, 2020, coinciding with the introduction of Ireland's new coercive control law. The woman left him for good in September 2020, ending the abuse. The man, who has four previous convictions and previously served time for a fatal incident, admitted to 'knowingly and persistently engaging in behaviour that was controlling and coercive with the intention of having a serious effect on the relevant person.'
Victim Impact Statement
In a victim impact statement, the woman, in her forties, said her life was a constant cycle of degradation. Her husband mocked her appearance and weight, undermined her efforts, and made regular sexual demands. She recalled him blaming her if she had her period when he wanted sex. She said she 'freezes' at the memory of him hissing the word 'c**t' at her. She wished she was dead during the abuse.
'It is so difficult to put into words the full extent and effect of coercive control - but the two words I would use are relentless and torturous,' she said. 'The constant critical and demeaning running commentary in everything I did - the name calling never stopped. He controlled who I could be friends with and tried to turn me against my own family.'
She added that everyone was 'walking on eggshells' around him. 'If he was not happy, then nobody could be happy. Even if he was 200 miles away he would still have the ability to instill fear in me. I would give into his demands just to have peace in the house.' She considered suicide but found strength in her children to leave.
Sentencing
Defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC told the court his client had self-referred to a programme called Men Overcoming Violent Emotions (MOVE). Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford commended the victim for her 'courage' and set a headline sentence of two and a half years. Considering the plea and remorse, she jailed the man for 18 months, suspending the final six months.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk.
