'He has lost his mind, don't text again': Man sentenced for assaulting and falsely imprisoning girlfriend

At Skibbereen District Court it was claimed that Michael Casey, her then on-off partner of less than a year, had assaulted her at his home and had falsely imprisoned her there over a number of hours, charges he denied.

"I am in the bathroom," read one text message read out in court by the judge. "I can't go out because he won't let me go anywhere."

Another said: "He threw loads of coke at me and said I could never afford that." Another read: "Mike is fucked. He has lost his mind. He is on coke, like." And another text: "This is scary. Don't text again. I am scared."