By Eimear Dodd
A man followed his ex-partner to work the morning after he entered her home uninvited and assaulted her new partner, a court has heard.
Dean Howard (33) of Carrickmount Drive, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the male victim on July 10 and 11, 2022.
He has no previous convictions.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Howard was initially facing other charges including harassment and production of an article, but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) agreed that a guilty plea to assault causing harm was acceptable on a full facts basis.
Garda Rosemary Gallagher gave evidence that Howard was in an on and off relationship with a female victim, which had recently ended.
He went to her home, which he entered uninvited. He then went to her bedroom, where she was in bed with her new partner.
Howard jumped on the bed, then hit the male victim into the face repeatedly. He then picked up a pint glass and brandished it at the man.
Howard was abusive to the woman, calling her a “slag” and also told the man he was dead.
The woman’s housemate managed to get Howard off the bed and out of the property.
Afterwards, he rang the woman repeatedly. When the man left, Howard followed him in his car for some time, drove parallel to him and shouted at him to stay away from the woman.
When the woman was driving to work the next morning, she saw Howard behind her in a white BMW.
He followed her to work, then left. Howard arranged for flowers and an apology card to be sent to her workplace on July 11, using an online service.
The court heard the woman received 47 calls and 63 emails from Howard over this two-day period.
He suggested they meet up and while the woman replied to some of his contact, she was reluctant to meet him in light of what happened.
There has been no contact between them since then, the court heard.
Howard gave a different account of events to gardai during a voluntary interview, suggesting that a scuffle had started in the hall and that the male victim had punched them first.
Gda Clancy agreed with David Perry BL, defending, that Howard told gardai the woman had messaged him via social media on July 9, saying she loved him and wanted a future with him.
These messages were shown to the court, with Gda Clancy indicating that Howard had declined to hand his phone to garda for analysis.
Gda Clancy agreed that Howard’s guilty plea was of assistance to the prosecution, that he admitted being at the scene and has not come to recent negative garda attention.
Mr Perry told the court his client began to see a psychotherapist following this incident
His client brought €2,500 to court as a token of remorse. The court heard the injured parties do not wish to receive any money or a letter of apology from Howard.
Mr Perry said his client is deeply apologetic and remorseful for his actions. He lives with his current partner and young child.
Counsel said his client has family support and a good work history.
Mr Perry submitted to the court that this offending is out of character for his client. He told the court his client’s offending occurred when his client was experiencing a period of poor mental health towards the end of the relationship.
He said his client is remorseful for his actions, misinterpreted the situation and knows that he should not have gone to the woman’s house.
Counsel submitted that “human facts were at play that made him behave as he did” and Howard is ashamed and embarrassed by his actions.
A number of references and other documents were handed to the court.
Mr Perry said his client is anxious to remain in the community and asked the court to consider imposing a non-custodial sentence.
Imposing sentence, Judge Orla Crowe said the impact on the victims was aggravating, and it would have been upsetting and frightening for them. She noted the “particularly severe” impact on the woman.
She said Howard was “very abusive” and “disrespectful in a very extreme way”
The judge noted Howard’s offending occurred over two days at the end of the relationship between him and the female victim, which “erupted into physical violence and irrational behaviour”.
She said Howard, who was “previously of good character” had “overreacted in a criminal fashion” to the end of the relationship.
The judge said it was “unwarranted, unacceptable behaviour”.
Having considered the mitigation and Howard’s personal circumstances, Judge Crowe said the court considered that a suspended prison sentence “can act as an appropriate punishment”.
She imposed an 18-month sentence, suspended for three years. She directed Howard to have no contact with the woman for three years and to pay the €2,500 to a women’s refuge in Dublin.