Man jailed for coercive control, assault and making threats to his former partner

Sonya McLean

A man who beat his partner four times, threatened to knife her dead and put a bullet in the back of her head has been jailed for six and a half years for coercive control, harassment, assault and making threats to kill or cause serious harm.

Levi McCarthy (33) who is originally from Limerick and has an address at North Frederick Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to multiple counts including coercive control, assault causing harm, making threats to kill or cause serious harm, perverting the course of justice and robbery of Victoria Keogh on dates between July 2021 and July 2023.

His previous 60 previous convictions include a conviction for burglary of Ms Keogh’s parents' home and convictions from which include threatening a former partner.

In a victim impact statement read into the record, Ms Keogh said there was never a honeymoon period in the relationship because within months the abusive behaviour started.

Breach of barring order

The court heard McCarthy was remanded in custody in August 2023 but was released in error, during which time he turned up at Heuston Station, where he knew Ms Keogh would be getting a train to her family home.

At the station, he was in breach of a barring order when he approached Ms Keogh.

He was also charged with intimidating her as she was a witness in the investigation against him at the point.

The court heard that McCarthy also wrote letters to Ms Keogh and her parents while he was on remand in Cloverhill Prison, which the State claimed were again intimidating as these people were all witnesses in the ongoing prosecution against McCarthy.

The assaults carried out on Ms Keogh involved headbutting, kicking, punching to the face and choking her.

A victim impact statement from her parents said she often came home bruised and with black eyes after meeting with McCarthy.

They spoke of how they were worried when their daughter left the house that it would be the last time they would see her because they were concerned McCarthy could kill her.

Threats to kill

Garda Colin Shelly played recordings and videos of McCarthy’s behaviour towards the woman. The recordings were inaudible at times but he could be heard referring to the woman as a rat and saying “die bitch”.

He can be heard threatening to put a knife through her neck and “I will knife you dead”. “See what is going to happen to you,” McCarthy said.

“I will put a bullet in the back of your head…will catch your father too,” he can be heard saying.

Gda Shelly said the couple started a relationship in May 2021, and it ended in 2023. The charge of coercive control relates to a period from August 2021 to August 2023.

He said during this period McCarthy threatened and assaulted Ms Keogh and isolated her from her friends. She was afraid to break up with him because of the threats he issued. He would continuously text her while she was out with friends and send her voice notes if she didn’t answer.

Gda Shelly said McCarthy would also humiliate Ms Keogh in front of her family and friends and comment on her clothing.

Ms Keogh prepared a victim impact statement for the court which was read into the record by prosecuting counsel, Maddie Grant BL.

She spoke of how her life with McCarthy was a nightmare and spoke of how he would threaten to break down the windows of her rented home if she didn’t allow him in when he turned up drunk.

She said she left that home because she didn’t want to get in trouble with the landlord and returned to live with her parents.

“Almost every day he would threaten to hurt me or my parents. Threaten to stab me if I said I would leave. I felt trapped with no way out,” the victim continued, describing feeling extreme stress.

She said at one point McCarthy kicked down the door of her family home, and her parents had to hide in the bathroom. They did not feel safe in their own home.

The woman said McCarthy continued to harass her while he was in prison by sending her cards and letters.

The woman’s parents also prepared a victim impact statement which Ms Grant read into the record.

Ms Keogh’s parents, Valerie and Noe,l said they were unsure of McCarthy at first but thought their daughter seemed happy. They said that within a few weeks, they knew something was not right, and they found that McCarthy was mentally and physically abusive.

They said they didn’t want McCarthy near their daughter or their home , and he would often arrive at their house drunk and abusive.

Injuries

They said they would be scared when they knew that Ms Keogh was going to meet McCarthy and described her coming home with visible injuries including black eyes, swollen cheeks and choke marks on her neck.

They said on one occasion when Ms Keogh left the house to meet McCarthy, they worried that it would be the last time they would see her as they were afraid he would kill her.

They said McCarthy has caused damage to their daughter and ruined so many lives.

“He has threatened to kill us and our daughter. We will never forgive him for what he did to our family,” they said.

The couple concluded their statement that they will “never forget the fear” they felt thinking McCarthy was going to kill them.

Judge Martin Nolan told the garda it was “a very good investigation”.

He noted that he had the benefit of hearing the recordings but acknowledged that it was difficult to hear what McCarthy was saying because of a level of intoxication and “he has a certain accent but nonetheless the threats are clear”.

Judge Nolan said McCarthy exhibited physical and mental violence and control over Ms Keogh and that he sent letters to her while he was in prison “in an attempt to reactivate the trauma and pervert the course of justice”.

He acknowledged that Ms Keogh suffered “serious trauma” and the impact on her has been “long lasting”.

Judge Nolan said he found the victim impact statements “believable”. He acknowledged that McCarthy had a difficult start in life and was addicted to alcohol.

He set a headline global sentence of nine years before he imposed a four year sentence on the charge of coercive control and a consecutive term of two and half years on one of the charges of assault causing harm.

Judge Nolan ordered that McCarthy not having any whatsoever with Ms Keogh or her family for 15 years.

Aisling Murphy BL, defending, said that her client is originally from Limerick and was adopted as a baby by a loving and caring family.

He studied to third level in site management and became a qualified carpenter, which led to him working in Europe.

Ms Murphy said McCarthy’s drinking became out of control and he ended up in homeless accommodation in Dublin.

She said McCarthy accepts that his behaviour is “nothing short of appalling” and “absolutely unjustifiable”. She said he is determined to make amends and handed in letters of apology.

Ms Murphy said McCarthy expresses remorse and has identified the psychological harm he has caused. He has had not come to negative attention in prison.

McCarthy is currently serving a prison sentence for burglary of the Keogh’s home and is due for release in July this year.