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Dublin man jailed for beating his girlfriend so badly she needed surgery on her leg

Summary

Stephen Walsh, 39, of Portland Close, Portland Row, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing serious harm to his girlfriend Maria Sunner. The offence occurred on 24 November 2013 at their home on Poplar Row, Ballybough, when Walsh beat Sunner so severely that she required surgery to insert plates and bolts into her leg. Walsh had 32 prior convictions, including robbery and handling stolen goods. Judge Nolan described the attack as involving punching, pulling, dragging, kicking and stamping, and noted Sunner was left with a disfiguring scar. The sentence was back‑dated to when Walsh first entered custody in June 2013. Walsh pleaded guilty, claimed an element of self‑defence, and later apologized, stating his relationship ended over his "cowardly actions.".

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Dublin man jailed for beating his girlfriend so badly she needed surgery on her leg. Charges or matters: assault causing harm to Maria Sunner at their home on Poplar Row, Ballybough on November 24, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 24, 2013 Incident
• Christmas Other
• 2015-02-03 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report