Personal trainer at female-only gym jailed for assaults on ex-girlfriend

By Fiona Ferguson & Claire Henry

A personal trainer at a female-only gym has been jailed for two years and two months for assaulting his former girlfriend.

John Peters (33) of Wellingtonia, Knockrabo Apartments, Dundrum, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault and assault causing harm to the woman and criminal damage to her phone on dates in 2022 and 2023. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Martina Baxter had previously adjourned sentencing until today to allow a probation report to be prepared. Peters was remanded in custody.

She thanked the woman for her bravery in coming to court.

Passing sentence today, Judge Baxter said she had read the contents of a very detailed probation report and noted that Peters has breached the bonds of an intimate relationship in how he treated his former partner.

She said that on the last occasion, Peters heard the evidence that was adduced, and he has continued to approach the case in the same way as he did in 2023.

The Probation Officer outlined in the report that when asked to give his account of what happened, he described an argument and that he was attacked by his then partner, who had a knife.

He further disputed the established facts that were given in evidence during sentencing and challenged the injuries the woman sustained.

He disagreed that she feared him and that she made these allegations in “vengeance” as a result of his ending the relationship.

Judge Baxter highlighted a further portion of the probation report in which Peters said the injured party provoked him and that he minimised his actions despite his stating that he takes full responsibility for his actions.

The judge said the aggravating factors in this case were the existence of an intimate relationship and the aggression and anger had a significant effect on the injured party.

His physicality and training was utilised against the woman, and his continued aggression and violent approach in his attitude towards her, which reflects a disregard for her, the judge said.

Judge Baxter noted the following as mitigation in the case: the guilty plea, which while late, did spare the injured party from giving evidence and being re-traumatised, his lack of previous convictions, and the fact that he has not come to any adverse attention since.

The judge said there is no evidence before the court that Peters is addressing his aggression and temper, saying, “One must wonder if he understands the damage he has done.”

She said there is no evidence of contrition.

Judge Baxter sentenced Peters to three years in prison for assault causing harm, two and a half years for criminal damage and six months for assault, all of which are to run concurrently.

She suspended the final 10 months of the sentence for 15 months and placed Peters under the supervision of the Probation Services for 10 months post-release.

Finally, she backdated this sentence to when Peters went into custody in March of this year.

At a previous hearing, the court was informed that Peters had €10,000 as a token of remorse for the injured party.

The woman does not wish to receive this money, and Judge Baxter ordered that it be paid to Women’s Aid in the coming week.

Previously, Garda Aisling Hawkes told Jane McGowan BL, prosecuting, that the couple were in a relationship for three years and began cohabiting in late 2021.

The court heard that the last year to 18 months of the relationship were quite turbulent.

Gda Hawkes outlined the first assault, which occurred on July 10, 2022, in the apartment following an argument.

The woman was dragged downwards by Peters and her face hit off the carpet, leaving her with blood coming from her nose.

She said to him, “Look what you have done,” and he replied that she had done it to herself.

The assault also left her with a large bruise on her arm.

She also suffered a graze to her finger and damage to her eyebrow.

The woman attended a work event the following day and was asked by others what had happened to her. 

She texted Peters, and he sent a voice note telling her to say the injuries were caused by their dog and not to say she fell. He had also told her to wear clothing to cover her arms.

The court heard of a further incident where a pyjama top was ripped off her by Peters, leaving marks under her arms on May 2, 2023, and damage was caused to her mobile phone on June 6, 2023.

She outlined how Peters would delete numbers and messages from her phone.

Photographs of her injuries from both incidents were handed into court.

Gda Hawkes said the relationship ended the following day, and Peters was arrested.

He cooperated during the interview and answered all questions.

The woman subsequently gave a statement to gardai and handed over her mobile phone.

Peters was invited for an interview and gave the gardai a prepared statement.

He denied all the allegations and indicated his former partner was “volatile” when he decided to end the relationship.

He said his well-being had been affected, and he was distressed.

Ms McGowan said the statement made adverse comments as to the woman’s character and outlined that she was not to be believed as she had certain mental health issues.

The prepared statement was not read in full in open court but was handed into the judge.

During a question and answer session with gardai, Peters said he thought the woman was bitter due to the relationship ending and denied causing her injuries, suggesting she had been drinking.

Gardai played the voice note where he said she should indicate their pet had caused her injuries, and he said he was not sure if it was his voice, commenting that it could be anyone or a generated voice.

The woman told the court in her victim impact statement that the guilty plea did not feel like remorse to her, and for her, it had come too late.

She described how she has been left reliving events and wondering if she has the strength to keep living another day.

She told the court these offences were not in the past for her but something she struggles with in the present, leaving her in fear and suffering panic attacks and flashbacks of events.

Brian Gageby BL, defending, read an apology to the woman from Peters.

He said he wanted to sincerely apologise for his actions and the distress they caused.

He said he accepts responsibility, and it should not have happened.

He said he respects the woman’s right to move forward without further contact and was truly sorry for the impact of his actions on her.

Mr Gageby said Peters came from a generally supportive family background and had studied sport and exercise management.

He said he had a number of prior relationships to this one.

He is a personal trainer and businessman with a female-only gym in Dun Laoghaire.

Counsel said the behaviour was despicable and there was a suggestion of controlling behaviour which was aggravating.

He said his client acknowledges he acted in a way he should not have and that he has issues he needs to address.

He asked the court to take into account his guilty pleas.

Mr Gageby said Peters is willing to engage in supervision or programmes as the court sees fit.