Courts / Wexford / Report
Husband who imprisoned wife and pulled a gun on her is jailed
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, William Harton (41) was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for falsely imprisoning his then‑wife, Amy Harton, at their Sandyford home on 16 February 2017. Harton also pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm and possession of cocaine on the same date. The court heard that Harton had forced Amy back into the house after she tried to escape, threatened her with a knuckle‑duster, and produced a handgun he claimed was functional, though it was later found to be a fake. During a two‑hour stand‑off with the Garda emergency response unit, Harton swallowed pills and took cocaine. He eventually released Amy after she unlocked her phone for him and then surrendered to Gardaí. Harton has nine prior convictions, mainly for traffic offences, and has been relocated to County Wexford under bail conditions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Husband who imprisoned wife and pulled a gun on her is jailed. Charges or matters: one count of falsely imprisoning Amy Harton at her home in Sandyford on February 16 last year; possession of an imitation firearm and possession of cocaine on the same date. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- February 16 Incident
- February 13 Incident
- 2018-01-23 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of falsely imprisoning Amy Harton at her home in Sandyford on February 16 last year; possession of an imitation firearm and possession of cocaine on the same date (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Sentencing him to two years' imprisonment, Judge Martin Nolan said Harton's wife had had "much to endure" as a result of his actions. "To imprison someone against their will for that period of time is a terrifying experience," Judge Nolan said.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
Related court reports
- 'Betrayal beyond words': victim of childhood abuse discovered husband was raping their daughter
- Man who raped and abused stepdaughter from age 6 refused permission to resile from guilty plea
- 'Come out, you Indians. I'll show you': man accused of racist attack in Cherrywood
- 'Danger to young girls' gets 11.5 years for rape of teenager
- Court refuses to reduce sentence for brothel keeper caught with child abuse material
- Brian Grendon to face non-jury trial for directing criminal gang
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request