Thug who forced victim to flee topless to neighbours avoids Jail

A court has heard that a Dungiven man banged his former partner's head off a toilet ten times leaving her 'begging for help'.

Keelan O'Kane (29), of Bleach Green, appeared before Limavady Magistrates' Court earlier today charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one charge of non-fatal strangulation.

The offences were committed on January 26 and the victim in the case was O'Kane's then girlfriend, the court heard.

A further charge of common assault involving the same victim on February 23 was also before the court.

Limavady Court heard that police were contacted on January 26 after the injured party attended a neighbour's house seeking refuge after she claimed she had been physically abused by her boyfriend, O'Kane.

The court heard that the woman said O'Kane had punched her to the face and strangled her to the point that she lost consciousness.

She said there had been some brief reconciliation however some time later he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the toilet ten times resulting in swelling and bruising to her head.

As a result of the incident, clumps of hair had been pulled out of the woman's head, the court also heard.

The woman stated that when she had tried to escape from O'Kane, he grabbed her shirt ripping it open.

A neighbour who was driving past the property at the time observed the injured party on the street topless and with visible injuries.

The court also heard details surrounding a second incident on February 23 when the PSNI received an abandoned call from a telephone number linked to the injured party.

During a call back, the injured party could be heard saying 'get off me' to someone in the background.

When police attended the injured party's address in Dungiven, she said she was in the property alone and admitted that she had a verbal argument with O'Kane earlier.

The woman stated that O'Kane had punched her twice to the back of the head and once to the front of the head. She said he had also pulled her nose ring out however she did not want to provide police with a statement in relation to the incident.

O'Kane's barrister, Ben Thompson described his client's conduct as 'appalling'.

Mr Thompson said O'Kane has a limited criminal record adding that he has an 'appalling and longstanding addiction to alcohol' which appears to be directly relevant to his offending.

He confirmed that O'Kane recently participated in an alcohol rehabilitation programme.

During sentencing, the judge said that everything about the case was 'very serious'.

The judge went on to say that O'Kane 'always had the upper hand' and his victim was 'always going to come off the worst'.

“He repeatedly banged her head ten times off a toilet, the fear she must have experienced in her own home at the hands of her partner must have been dreadful. She ended up on the street begging for help,” he said.

Describing O'Kane's criminal record as 'modest', the judge said that while the custody threshold had been passed, he was prepared to give him a chance.

He sentenced O'Kane to eight months in prison, which he suspended for two years, adding: “I hope he will realise if he reoffends there is a sentence of eight months waiting for him.”

In addition, the judge imposed a restraining order forbidding the defendant from contacting the injured party for a period of two years.

The judge said that he hoped it would give some 'reassurance' to the victim before he warned O'Kane: “You've been given a chance, take it. If you don't you will be straight out the back door of this court.”