Man jailed for attacking and threatening to kill ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend

A Youghal man got upset when he saw his former girlfriend with her new boyfriend and attacked her and threatened to kill both of them.

Dane Ring, aged 26, pleaded guilty to charges arising out of this incident at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.

Judge Brian O’Callaghan said: “These are most serious charges no matter who they are.

“Whether you know them or not makes no difference.

“You had in your possession, when making the threats, a kitchen knife. You picked up that serious weapon for no good reason.

“You made a conscious decision to get this weapon. You had nothing in mind but to use it in the way that you did.

“They were in serious fear. That is a seriously aggravating factor in this case which the court cannot avoid emphasising.

“If everybody took up a knife every time they lost a girlfriend or a boyfriend you can imagine what the world would be like.

“The fact that you have stayed away from these two indicates it was spur of the moment, albeit premeditated.

“You are so lucky to have probation officer Maria Ahern. To describe her report as impressive is an understatement. It is important you return that trust to her.”

The judge imposed a total sentence of three years, with half of it suspended.

Dane Ring pleaded guilty to attempted robbery of a young woman of a handbag containing personal items on July 12, 2016, at Pearse Square in Youghal.

Ring also pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill her on the same occasion and making a threat to kill the young man with her.

Detective Garda Cormac Ó Bric said Ring, with an address at St Vincent’s hostel, Anglesea Terrace, Cork, approached his ex-girlfriend in Youghal on the day and produced a knife.

“He made threats to the two of them. He attempted to grab her handbag.

“He pushed her to the ground and made more threats to her.

“He eventually left the scene empty-handed.

Helen Boyle, defence barrister said: “He has accepted responsibility for these offences.

“He has stayed away from the victims since this occurred. He was upset that his ex-girlfriend had moved on, which she was perfectly entitled to do.

“He apologises. He accepts he puts them in fear. He says that what he did was utterly unacceptable.

“In the background he had had a suicide attempt and self-harm.

“He has a chaotic lifestyle and addiction issues leading to him appearing before the district court on a regular basis.

He has had periods of detox where he has weaned himself off drugs.

“He is taking methadone in prison. He was remanded in custody. He did engage with the probation service on his release.

“The only hope for this young man is to engage with services for his addiction.

“He has asked me to communicate his remorse for this incident.”

Judge O’Callaghan said the headline sentence on the charges without mitigation would have been four years.

He imposed a sentence of three years, to commence on termination of a sentence the accused is presently serving for an unrelated crime. That sentence is due to end in June.

The judge also suspended the last 18 months of the three years on condition that he would comply with the directions of the probation service post-release for a period of two years.