Courts / Cork / Report
Leading barrister helped woman who was beaten by partner
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Tesfahannes Weldibanos, aged 50, pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman who had fled her home after a domestic attack in October 2021. The woman, who later moved to Mall House, Cork, described how Weldibanos, in a rage of jealousy, slapped, bit, and threatened her, causing head injuries and a scar to her eye. She escaped the property and called for help, eventually reaching the home of criminal barrister Lorcan Staines, who and his wife called an ambulance. Weldibanos, originally from Eritrea and a 20‑year Irish resident with no prior convictions, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a suspended three‑year term. The sentence includes conditions such as paying an additional €3,000 to his former partner within a year and no direct contact for three years. The court noted the assault was a one‑off incident rather than a pattern of abuse.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Leading barrister helped woman who was beaten by partner. Charges or matters: one count of assaulting the woman causing her harm at her home on October 30, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 2021 Incident
- October 30, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-12-19 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of assaulting the woman causing her harm at her home on October 30, 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was given a suspended three-year sentence. He handed down a three-year sentence which he suspended on a number of conditions, including that Weldibanos offer his former partner a further €3,000 within one year.
Places mentioned
Topics
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