A LISNASKEA man has been handed a suspended sentence for a “despicable” assault on his ex-partner.
Declan McGovern (43) of Derryree Wood appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court charged with common assault, criminal damage, and breach of an occupation order.
On Saturday, November 4 at around 4.20pm police received a report of a domestic incident at a home in Lisnaskea.
The woman reported she had got a call from McGovern, who was asking to see their children. The defendant sounded drunk, so she told him no.
Around 15 minutes later McGovern showed up at the home, under the influence, and the woman tried to force him out. He then pinned her to the sofa and she had to shove him off.
McGovern shouted obscenities about the woman and her boyfriend, in front of children, then threw her out of the house and locked the door. She was left outside for around 15 minutes, during which time she called the police.
After the police had been called the defendant left the house, and as he was leaving jumped up and down on the woman’s car then scraped an insult referring to her on the vehicle.
While McGovern was leaving the area he saw the police officers making their way to the house, and stopped them to say he had been involved.
When interviewed McGovern, who is a part time fireman, denied assaulting the woman.
His defence team said it was not a case of him arriving at the house uninvited, and said the couple had previously had a long term relationship and there had been no previous domestic issues between them.
They said McGovern had taken alcohol and “things got out of hand,” but he was not remorseful for what he had done.
District Judge Alana McSorley said McGovern had shown “the most despicable behaviour I had seen in a while,” noting it had been aggravated by the fact it had been in front of children and that it involved domestic violence.
Judge McSorley also noted that in his pre-sentence report McGovern had tried to justify and minimise his actions. She said nothing could justify his behaviour on that day.
McGovern was sentenced to a total of six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £1,220.40 in compensation for damage caused to the car.
Judge McSorley also granted a 12 month restraining order preventing him from harassing his ex-partner.
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