Jailed for threat to ‘nail ex-partner to the ground’

A MAN who threatened to nail his ex-partner to the ground and scar her so that she would always remember him was jailed for four months yesterday.

Thomas Twohig, aged 30, apologised to Ashling Coffey yesterday at Cork District Court through his solicitor, Frank Buttimer, and pleaded guilty to two breaches of a protection order and admitted smashing a window.

Mr Buttimer said the apology might be cold comfort for Ms Coffey given the nastiness of the threats. However, he expressed the defendant’s hope that by pleading guilty he had spared her the further distress of having to give evidence in a trial yesterday.

As well as imposing the four-month jail sentence, Judge Con O’Leary imposed a further eight-month suspended sentence. That will be suspended for two years provided Twohig keeps the peace for two years after his release from prison.

Inspector Mary King said the defendant phoned Ms Coffey on February 13 and said: “I will nail you to the ground. That day is coming.”

Insp King said Twohig also threatened over the phone: “I will scar you so that you will remember me for the rest of your life.”

The inspector said Ms Coffey was in fear of Twohig and that three weeks after making the call, on March 6, he arrived at the house and smashed a pane of glass in the door, shouting: “You’re dead when I get in the door.”

Twohig pleaded guilty to breaching a protection order by putting Ms Coffey in fear on Sunday, March 6, and previously on February 13. He pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the house on March 6.

Twohig said last week in an unsuccessful bail application that he would not go to his former partner’s house at Brandon Court, Old Youghal Road, Cork, and that he would stay at his own address at 19 Colmcille Road, Gurranabraher, Cork.

Ms Coffey testified: “If he is released, he is going to come back to my house. I am in fear for my life.

“He threatened he is going to get me shot. He said he was going to nail me to the ground. He was going to get someone else to do it because he doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. I am terrified of him.”