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Violent criminal to serve extra year for on-bail attacks on partner
Summary
Gerald McQuillan, 37, was on bail for assaulting his former partner when he broke into her home and attacked her again, grabbing the steering wheel of her car and causing it to spin across traffic lanes. He pleaded guilty to endangerment, assault, criminal damage and trespass. The original 18‑month sentence imposed by Circuit Court Judge James O'Donohue on 30 April 2024 was deemed too low. At the Court of Appeal, Justice Isobel Kennedy quashed the sentence and set a headline sentence of five years for the endangerment count, then imposed a final sentence of three and a half years with the last twelve months suspended. The effective custodial term is two and a half years, to run consecutively to the sentence already imposed, with credit for time already served. The appeal was brought by the State, who argued the original sentence was unduly lenient. The case remains at the appellate stage. The unnamed 37-year-old was convicted.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Violent criminal to serve extra year for on-bail attacks on partner. Charges or matters: assault causing harm and two counts of criminal damage and was handed a three-year prison sentence with a final six months suspended. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- January 5, 2021 Incident
- September 2022 Incident
- April 30, 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-10-11 Publication
Why: McQuillan told the victim it was her fault that the incident happened, because she had changed the password to her phone which made him paranoid. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: assault causing harm and two counts of criminal damage and was handed a three-year prison sentence with a final six months suspended (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; At the Court of Appeal today, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the original 18-month sentence imposed by Circuit Court Judge James O'Donohue on April 30, 2024 was "simply too low" and constituted a "substantial departure" from the the norm. The judge imposed a jail term of one year and six months on the count of endangerment, to run consecutively to the sentence McQuillan was already serving at the time.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- local garda station
Topics
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