Tyrone man put on probation for serious domestic abuse attacks

A TYRONE man has been handed an 18-month probation order after multiple incidents of domestic abuse.

The man  was sentenced at Omagh Magistrates Court on Tuesday. The court heard that police were first notified of a domestic incident around 5pm on March 23. The woman, who is married to the defendant, told police that she had been doing housework when the defendant became verbally abusive and grabbed her by the throat.

The woman then told officers of three previous occasions where the defendant, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, had abused her, including one time where he pushed her into a radiator before strangling her.

She said that the abuse spanned from August 1, 2022 to March 23 of this year.

The man was arrested and interviewed. However, his wife did not make any statements, instead telling police that she wanted her husband to get help.

Defence counsel Joe McCann said that the man had entered an early guilty plea and made admissions during police interview.

He added that the defendant had suffered from a ‘serious brain injury’, coupled with alcohol to cope, resulting in a short temper and becoming easily frustrated.

However, Mr McCann said that the defendant has not drank any alcohol since the incident and has attended counselling for his issues.

He continued, stating that the man was ‘genuinely remorseful’ during interview, admitting he was ‘ashamed’ for what he had done.

Speaking about sentencing, Mr McCann highlighted that immediate custody would likely jeopardise the defendant’s job and add financial hardship on his wife.

District Judge Ted Magill said that the man was at risk of immediate imprisonment due to his behaviour, adding that domestic violence was a ‘plague’ on our society.

However, noting the defendant’s lack of criminal record and show of remorse, judge Magill handed the man an 18-month probation order with a condition to participate in alcohol counselling.