Derry man jailed for ‘horrendous and violent’ domestic assault

District Judge Barney McElholm told a man that he had ‘absolutely no sympathy for him’ as he jailed him for what he described as a ‘disgraceful’ domestic assault.
Niall O’Hara (31) of 2, Elmwood Terace in Derry admitted assaulting his partner, her sister, making threats to kill and causing criminal damage on April 20.
The court was told that a taxi driver reported to police of seeing three children running from a house crying.
Police went to the house and when they arrived they saw O’Hara assaulting a female.
Police intervened and O’Hara struggled with them.
There was blood in the living room and it did not belong to the female who had been assaulted and police discovered it belonged to the woman’s sister, O’Hara’s partner. who had also run out of the house.
The partner told police that there had been a Confirmation and that the defendant had arrived drunk.
He grabbed a lap top she had been using and smashed it to the ground then pulled her around the room by the hair.
There were three children present aged 12,11 and 10.
The woman had a cut on her head that required six stitches.
Judge McElholm said it was a ‘horrendous and violent attack.’ The judge said that the attack took place in front of three children and this is why domestic violence is so insidious, there is not one victim there are many victims.
He told O’Hara he had ‘ample opportunity’ to deal with his problems and sentenced him to a total of 12 months in custody.