A CORK man threatened to throw his ex-girlfriend into a septic tank “to shut her mouth and bury her”, a court has heard.
Michael Galvin, 34, of Macroney, Kilworth, appeared before Cork Circuit Criminal Court where he received an 18-month sentence for having made death threats against the woman.
He also punched her in the ribs and threw a lighter at her forehead causing a lesion.
Galvin had also admitted threatening to ram the woman’s car.
When the victim tried to leave him he grabbed a broom and threatened to smash her car.
Garda Cathal Power told Judge Helen Boyle that the woman was subjected to the offending behaviour from January 14 to 15, 2023 at Galvin’s home.
He said when the woman raised the alarm she ran towards Gardai in a “very distressed state”.
The woman believes that the man very much meant his threat that he would throw her in a septic tank.
Galvin also threatened to destroy the home of her parents and he hit her “two or three times with a closed fist in the ribs”.
Garda Power said the accused had three previous convictions for assault causing harm and eight for criminal damage.
He had 48 convictions in total.
Defence barrister Emmet Boyle said his client had no circuit court convictions. All of his previous convictions were at district court level.
He indicated that Mr Galvin had a prolonged history of poor mental health.
Mr Boyle said: “He was residing in a remote rural farmhouse at the time that was barely fit for human habitation.
“He had challenges growing up. He has a lamentable history of mental health, including bipolar disorder and suicidal attempts.
“He was admitted for hospital treatment arising out of related issues.”
Among the charges to which Galvin pleaded guilty were assault causing harm, making a threat to kill or cause serious harm, threatening to cause criminal damage to a car with a broom and threatening to cause criminal damage to the home of the parents of his ex-girlfriend.
Judge Helen Boyle said that an aggravating factor in the case was that the man had an “an attitude of denial of domestic violence” and wasn’t a candidate for supervision by the probation service.
She said a mitigating factor was that he had entered a guilty plea saving the woman the ordeal of giving evidence at a trial.
She jailed him for two years suspending the last six months of the sentence.
Michael Galvin appeared before Cork Circuit Criminal Court[/caption]
