He was sentenced yesterday.
A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for coercive control and assault.
The 53 year old man, from Blanchardstown, Dublin, received a 12-and-a-half year sentence yesterday with two years suspended for the coercive control and repeated assault of his former partner.
He is the first person to be convicted on a coercive control charge after a trial in Ireland.
RTÉ News reports the man repeated attacked the woman between 2018 and 2020, consistently convincing her that it would never happen again.
He also controlled his victim’s finances and subjected her to repeated humiliation in front of her friends and family members. The woman soon became isolated from her loved ones.
The man pleaded not guilty to all charges and tried to persuade the victim to recall her statements prior to the trial.
Coercive control became a crime in Ireland two years ago following the introduction of the Domestic Violence Act 2018. The law made psychological and emotional abuse illegal, while also making it easier for those experiencing domestic abuse in dating relationships to avail of protection within the court system.
The act also recognises intimate relationships as an aggravating factor in domestic violence cases, meaning that safety orders have since been available to those in dating relationships, not just couples who live together.
Anyone affected by this story can contact Women’s Aid on 1800 341 900.
