A 30-year-old man has been given a seven-and-half-year jail term at Limerick Circuit Court for subjecting his former girlfriend to what was described as an appalling, brutal and savage attack.
Simone Lee, 39, was found unconscious and badly beaten with burn and stab wounds at her flat at Hassetts Villas in Thomondgate, Limerick, on 27 November 2016.
Her former boyfriend Colin Ryan, of St Ita's Street, St Mary's Park in the city, who was a regular visitor to Ms Lee’s home, had initially denied his involvement in the attack, but later pleaded guilty to intentionally and recklessly causing serious harm to her.
Gardaí went to the flat that night after neighbours complained of a serious disturbance.
They found windows smashed and a broken broom handle with the victim's blood and hair on it.
Ms Lee was treated in St James’s Hospital in Dublin where she was placed in an induced coma for three weeks, such were the extent of her injuries.
Judge Tom O'Donnell imposed a nine-and-half-year sentence on Ryan, suspending the final two years on condition he keep the peace for a further nine-and-half-year on his release.
Judge O’Donnell said while there was evidence both had led chaotic lives with drug and alcohol addiction problems, it was clear Ms Lee had been subjected to a very serious beating at the hands of the accused, which left her with broken bones, burns, stab wounds and a loss of hair.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
