No jail for woman who lacerated boyfriend's groin

A Dublin woman who attacked her ex-boyfriend leaving him with injuries to his scrotal area has been given a suspended sentence today.

Lisa Moran (aged 42) of O’ Devaney Gardens pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to recklessly assaulting Eamon Desmond causing him harm in the early hours of June 5, 2007 at his home at Annamoe Drive, Dublin 7.

Following her sentence at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Moran, who formerly worked as a cleaner in the building, was escorted out a restricted entrance by an employee working at the CCJ, preventing waiting photographers at the public entrance from taking her picture.

An audible gasp was heard in the courtroom as details of Mr Desmond’s injuries, which included “an exposed left testicle”, were read out by prosecution counsel, Mr Colm O’Briain BL.

Garda Brian McCann, of Cabra Garda Station, agreed with Mr O’Briain that Mr Desmond, who was in a relationship with Moran at the time of the offence, was asleep in bed when Moran arrived at his home and kicked in a glass panel of his front door.

Mr O’Briain told Judge Martin Nolan that on the night of the assault, Moran was out socialising and heard “rumours” that Mr Desmond had made “disparaging” comments about her daughter and decided to confront him.

Mr Desmond initially appealed to Moran, who was screaming obscenities and threatening to “smash the whole house down”, to go home.

The victim agreed to let her in after a few minutes following assurances from Moran she would not cause any further damage and he believed her to have “calmed down”.

On opening the door Moran “launched” herself upon Mr Desmond and knocked him to the floor and began kicking, scratching and slapping him.

Mr Desmond, who Mr O’Briain said “at no point retaliated”, managed to get to his feet and tried in vain to remove Moran from his home.

When trying to restrain Moran, Mr Desmond “straddled” her on the floor and held her two arms down. After a few minutes Moran again appeared calm and “promised” she would stop attacking Mr Desmond who then let go of her arms.

Immediately afterwards, Moran began “slapping and scratching” him again. The court heard that at this point Moran was “frothing at the mouth”.

Mr Desmond once again restrained her and decided to ring the gardaí.

To do this he was required to let go of Moran’s arms and as he dialled the number he “felt a sharp pain in his scrotum area”, Garda McCann said.

Gda McCann told Mr O’Briain that when he arrived at the scene Mr Desmond brought him aside and showed him his injuries which included a lacerated scrotum leaving the victim’s “left testicle extruding”.

Defence counsel Cormac Quinn BL, told Judge Nolan that his client had “no intention to cause serious injury” to Mr Desmond and said the court accepted that the injury to his scrotum was caused by Moran’s belt buckle.

Mr O’Briain said that the prosecution accepted Moran’s claim the injury was caused by her belt buckle but added “that reason is speculated by the victim.”

Mr Quinn told Judge Nolan that Moran had once been a cleaner “in this very building” and as a consequence of this offence had lost her job.

Gda McCann agreed with Mr Quinn that the victim has made a good recovery and is left with only a small scar.

Gda McCann said that Mr Desmond was “happy to put the incident behind him” and had no wish for compensation.

Judge Nolan said that Moran was guilty of the reckless assault causing harm to Mr Desmond but accepted the injury was not intentional.

He sentenced her to 18 months imprisonment, suspended in its entirety for one year.