Courts / Meath / Report

Man kidnapped ex-wife for 24 hours and threatened to kill her

Date
2022-07-07

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Ashbourne

County
Meath

Summary

William O'Donnell, 24, of Ashbourne, Co Meath, was sentenced to five years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill his former wife, Brigid Reilly, on September 20, 2021. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as very serious, noting that O'Donnell forced Ms Reilly into his car against her will and deprived her of her liberty for 24 hours. The court heard that O'Donnell drove Ms Reilly from Naas, Co Kildare, to Enniskillen, threatening to kill them both and ruin her reputation within the Travelling community. He recorded a video taunting her father and claimed police could not reach him once he crossed into the North. Ms Reilly, who was terrified, eventually escaped briefly but was forced back into the vehicle. O'Donnell was arrested at a garda checkpoint after driving back into the jurisdiction. He has 66 previous convictions and was on bail for other offences at the time. His defence counsel described the act as immature and attributed it to impulse control issues. O'Donnell has been in custody since last September and is on an enhanced prisoner régime. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the custodial sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man kidnapped ex-wife for 24 hours and threatened to kill her. Charges or matters: falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill his former wife Brigid Reilly on September 20, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence

When: