Jailed for kicking pregnant partner

A BALLYGAWLEY man who kicked his pregnant partner has been jailed for four months.

Patrick Sherry (30), of Castle Hill Park, was told by the District Judge, Michael Ranaghan, that he did not deserve any leniency for what had happened.

A prosecutor told Dungannon Magistrates Court that, on January 3 last, Sherry had gone into the bedroom where he grabbed the injured party by a ribbon on her hair and then by the back of the neck.

The court was told that he then kicked her in the chest area. At the time the injured party was nine weeks pregnant.

Pre-sentence reports had been prepared in the case and defence barrister, Seamus Lannon, said that Sherry had entered a plea of guilty and was remorseful for what had happened.

He added that Sherry had issues with his health and alcohol and that there was an acceptance that the case could be dealt with by a period of custody.

Imposing the sentence, together with a £25 offender levy, the district judge observed the case was one of domestic violence.

Mr Ranaghan said the pre-sentence report was a “very disturbing” one to read, and added that this was also the case in relation to Sherry’s attitude to his partner.

Sherry, the judge added, did not seem to understand what he had done and that it was the job of the court to send out a deterrent in relation to incidents such as this.