Courts / Dublin / Report

Man with brain injury strangled partner until she lost conciousness

Date
2020-06-12
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, William Gregory, aged 35, was sentenced to two years in prison for strangling his then‑partner on 22 January 2017. Gregory, who had been heavily intoxicated that day, became jealous after receiving a text message from another man. He pulled the woman by her hair, pinned her to the floor and wrapped an electric cord from a hair curler around her neck, tightening it until she lost consciousness. During the assault he threatened to kill her and spoke of her "last words" and "leaving in a body bag". The victim suffered bruising to her neck, chest and shoulder, significant weight loss and serious depression. Judge Melanie Greally noted Gregory's significant mental health issues stemming from a brain injury sustained in 2012, an organic personality disorder diagnosed in 2019, and his extreme low mental health in March 2019. William Gregory pleaded guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man with brain injury strangled partner until she lost conciousness. Charges or matters: assault causing harm of the woman at an address in Dublin on January 22, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

William Gregory

Defendant

Charges: assault causing harm of the woman at an address in Dublin on January 22, 2017 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Greally said that it was impossible to quantify the degree to which his mental health contributed to the assault but said the court could not ignore it when considering the appropriate sentence. "The principal contribution to the offence was self-induced intoxication of a very extreme nature," she said.

Places mentioned

Residence
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Incident
Facility
  • National Rehabilitation Hospital

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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