A man who brutally attacked his then girlfriend on two separate occasions has been jailed for a total of four years.
Sean Deery kicked Samantha Carr in the head so hard that when she went to protect herself he fractured her index finger which remains broken such was the force.
She was knocked unconscious in an attack which was described by Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Circuit Court as “very brutal.”
Detail of two separate attacks which took place at Glenfin Court in Ballybofey were given at a previous hearing of the court.
Judge Aylmer put the case back for final sentencing this week.
He said he placed the first offence of assault causing harm to a “harmless young woman” 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, aged 33, of Glenfin Court, Ballybofey, also pleaded guilty to another assault on Ms Carr which took place on February 10th, 2020.
On that occasion evidence was given previously of how Deery kicked his victim in the head and also striking her in 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.
He noted she also suffered a serious head injury and it had to be examined to see if there was a fracture and that fortunately there wasn’t.
He 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.
He added that he recognised he attended Whiteoaks Rehabilitation Centre and had also completed a Choice Programme.
However, he said he regretted to say that this was not enough for the court to deal with the charges by way of a non custodial sentences.
To give hi credit for mitigation he reduced each sentence of four years to one of years to one of three years to run consecutively.
On the principle of consecutive sentences however, he said he was suspending 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.