Man jailed for attack on partner

By Brion Hoban

A father-of-three who fractured his partner’s nose during a “sustained episode of violence” has been jailed for two years.

Dubliner Gareth McCarton (29) dragged his partner Shannon Mahon out of bed, said he would kill her and proceeded to hit, bite and choke her until gardaí intervened.

McCarton of Suncroft Drive, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at his address on April 13, 2020. His five previous convictions include convictions for possession of a realistic firearm and road traffic offences.

Garda John Doran told Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question at approximately 6:15AM he attended at the scene to find McCarton and the victim engaged in “a heated argument” outside the address and had to stand between them.

Gda Doran said McCarton shouted that he did not care that gardaí were there and that when they leave “wait and see what happens”. No complaint was made and gardaí left the scene.

Gardaí returned around 30 minutes later after receiving reports of screaming coming from the house. Ms Mahon, who had blood and bruises on her face, called from an upstairs window and asked gardaí to enter the house quickly because the accused was assaulting her.

McCarton was coming down the stairs when gardaí entered and was arrested. He was not wearing a t-shirt and “a large amount of blood” was on his body, hands and knuckles.

Ms Mahon told gardaí the previous night she had been sitting in the attic of the house with the accused and another man. While the accused was elsewhere, this other man said something like that they would run away to Vegas together and she jokingly agreed she would.

She told gardaí that McCarton later pulled her out of bed, said he was going to kill her and accused her “of all sorts of things” including that she had said she would run away to Vegas with the other man. He punched her all over her body, choked her and bit her arms and back.

Gardaí observed Ms Mahon had a large amount of bruising to her face following the incident, as well as bruises and bite marks to other parts of her body. She was later diagnosed with a fractured nasal bone.

Gda Doran agreed with Kieran Kelly BL, defending, that his client claims he had taken drugs prior to the offence, but said McCarton had been deemed fit for interview by a doctor following his arrest.

The garda agreed that his client was granted bail which was later revoked when it was discovered that McCarton had failed to stay away from his partner. He said gardaí discovered that he was living in his family home with his partner and their three children.

Reading from a letter that was handed into court, Mr Kelly said his client apologised for the crime, saying it was “totally out of my character” and that he had taken crack cocaine for the first time before the offence. He said this was his first time in prison and it has “scared” him.

Counsel said his client wants to be with his children and girlfriend. He said his client wrote that the mother of his children “is out there struggling” and it is “all my fault”.

Judge Melanie Greally said the offence was “undoubtedly a very violent and sustained episode of violence” which had been “brewing” since an early stage of the evening in question.

Judge Greally said it represented “an extreme breach of trust to assault his partner and the mother of his children in such a vicious and violent manner”.

She said the accused has to address his difficulty with drugs and noted that he wishes to continue with his family responsibilities. She sentenced him to two years imprisonment.