Raymond McGuire receives suspended sentence for assault and harassment

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Raymond McGuire received a two-year prison sentence, suspended in full, for assault and harassment involving his former partner. Judge Martin Nolan also ordered him to pay the woman €4,000. The proceedings were reported on 5 February 2025.

McGuire, 40, of St Peter’s Drive, Walkinstown, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault causing harm and criminal damage, as well as harassment. The assault and criminal damage offences were dated 19 July 2018; the harassment was dated 27 July 2018.

Garda Keith Brannigan told prosecutor Karl Moran that McGuire came to the woman’s home seeking his television. After she told him to collect his belongings and leave, he whipped her with its cable, threatened to kill her and struck her with a cushion. He returned two hours later, smashed a pane in the front door and punched her in her bedroom.

Garda Brannigan said McGuire contacted the woman 54 times on 27 July, shouting abuse and sending abusive WhatsApp messages, although she had made clear she did not want contact. The garda agreed with defence counsel Ian Woodland that McGuire was puzzled by the number of calls, but acknowledged it was his phone and accepted responsibility. McGuire told gardaí he had been drinking all night and his head was not in the right place.

Mr Woodland said McGuire had been in a heightened emotional state, had lost control and was remorseful. Judge Nolan described the harassment as a litany of abusive messages and noted that McGuire’s previous convictions were for minor offences. He decided McGuire did not deserve a custodial sentence and said the payment would serve as punishment.