Jury clears woman who bit ex-partner’s girlfriend

A woman who bit the face of her ex-partner’s new girlfriend in what was described as a towering rage was found not guilty yesterday by a jury.

Jean Cronin, 33, of 24 College Court, Cobh, Co Cork, was on trial before Judge Donagh McDonagh and a jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Ms Cronin denied assault causing harm to Nicole McDonagh at her home in Hermitage Drive, Rushbrooke, Cobh, on October 1, 2012, and other charges related to trespassing at Ms McDonagh’s home.

A jury took about three hours to return unanimous not guilty verdicts on all three counts.

Medical reports confirmed that both women were injured in the disputed incident. The defendant, Jean Cronin, had a broken jaw. Ms McDonagh sustained two bites to her face and one to her hand

Prosecution barrister Siobhán Lankford said the crux of the case was who was the first woman to assault the other.

Nicole McDonagh testified that Ms Cronin arrived at her home shortly before 1am. She said when she opened the door Ms Cronin walked into the house, caught her by the hair and bit her face.

“She bit down on the right side of my face down around my lower jaw. I was pushing her face off me. She was pulling my hair. We fell to the ground. She was biting around my left eye,” Ms McDonagh said.

Ms Cronin said that was not how it happened. She claimed that when she and Ms McDonagh were arguing it was Ms McDonagh who first pushed her and that she simply pushed back.

As for the bite, she said: “I accept that I did bite her.”

Ms Lankford, for the prosecution, said photographs of Ms McDonagh’s face immediately after the incident showed a perfect circle of teeth marks on her face. The prosecution barrister argued that the marks were much more consistent with the evidence given by the complainant than by the defendant.

Ms Cronin said she received a text from Ms McDonagh that night which annoyed her so much she smashed her phone by throwing it against a wall at her home. She then went to the complainant’s house.

“You were in a towering rage,” Ms Lankford said. Ms Cronin disagreed and said: “I was upset, I was angry.”

Jane Hyland, defence barrister, emphasised the fact that Jean Cronin sustained a fractured jaw and that Nicole McDonagh had acknowledged in her own evidence that she had probably caused that.

Ms Hyland also asked the jurors to consider the differing details in evidence given by Ms McDonagh and her partner, Edward Kennedy, who had been in a relationship with Ms Cronin for years.

Ms McDonagh said Edward Kennedy held Ms Cronin in a bear-hug and she (Cronin) kept shouting, “Let me at her, let me at her.”