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Armed man broke into woman's house, destroyed her possessions and threatened to kill her
Summary
David Clail, aged 28, pleaded guilty to armed burglary, criminal damage and threatening to kill Sharon Murphy after breaking into her Kinsealy home on 20 September 2016. He entered the house, smashed furniture, tore out a TV, smashed a mirror, and threatened to kill Murphy, her family and her dog. He also threatened to kill her grandmother and called his relatives. Murphy called 999, hid her phone, and tried to calm him. Gardaí found Clail with a flick‑knife and blood on his hands. He admitted he had no reason for the attack, saying he had woken up in a "black mood" and "blanked out". The court noted his poly‑substance abuse and mental health issues. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to five years and seven months in prison, with a headline sentence of seven and a half years, after a delay and an early guilty plea.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Armed man broke into woman's house, destroyed her possessions and threatened to kill her. Charges or matters: burglary armed with a flick knife, criminal damage, and threatening to kill Sharon Murphy at her home in Kinsealy, Co Dublin. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 20, 2016 Incident
- October 2017 Incident
- December 2019 Incident
- 2020-03-06 Publication
Why: By Isabel Hayes and Fiona Ferguson A man who broke into his ex-girlfriend's house, smashed her possessions and threatened to kill her because he had woken up in a "black mood" has been jailed for five years and seven months. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: burglary armed with a flick knife, criminal damage, and threatening to kill Sharon Murphy at her home in Kinsealy, Co Dublin (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Taking into account all factors she imposed concurrent sentences totalling five years and seven months. The case was first heard in October 2017 and Clail was due to be sentenced in December of that year, but he failed to show in court and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
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