Man who subjected his former partner to verbal abuse and violence jailed for nine months

Defendant had pleaded guilty to coercive control and assault causing harm

Court heard accused, who cannot be named, spat in his ex-partner's face, called her a fat bitch and degraded her with all kinds of behaviour. Picture: Dan Linehan

A 51-year-old man coercively controlled his former partner with a litany of insulting, degrading and sometimes violent actions, once tipping a dustpan of dirt on top of her head after she dressed up to meet her mother to shop for a wedding dress.

On Thursday, he was sentenced to 18 months, with half of it suspended, by Judge Sinéad Behan at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. A similar concurrent sentence was imposed on him for assault causing harm to her.