A DUBLIN MAN been sentenced to an additional three and a half years in prison for the assault of his former partner and their child, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today.

The convicted rapist was found guilty of attacking his ex-partner and his then-twelve year-old-son in 2018.

 The sentence will not begin until 2029, when the man has completed the prison sentence he is currently serving for previous sexual offending,

He had denied two counts of assault causing harm and one count of criminal damage.

The court heard that the man disregarded a barring order issued by the court and went to his ex-partner’s home.

During the argument, the man became physically violent toward the woman.

The couple’s eldest child attempted to protect his mother but was also assaulted during the argument.

 The court heard that the child managed to call gardaí, who arrived at the scene. Photos were handed into court outlining the injuries sustained by the woman and her child.

The woman had cuts to her head and face and bruising to her arms. The child sustained cuts to his ankle and thigh.

The man has 31 previous convictions, including convictions for rape, sexual assault and violence against women.

Edward Doocey BL, prosecuting, read out a victim impact statement on behalf of the woman.

In the statement, the woman described that “his actions were inhumane and have broken and destroyed my self-worth”.

“The final memory your children have of you is the beating you gave me and the blood splatter on the walls,” she said.

Luigi Rea BL, defending, told the court that his client denies that this incident occurred.

He also said that his client’s life was distorted by years of drug abuse, but that he had a good work history.

Sentencing the man, Judge Pauline Codd said: “There must be a deterrent, and a message must go out to men that women are not their punching bag.”

 She said the most serious aggravating factor was the prolonged assault against his domestic partner of over a decade and that the assault was carried out in front of one of their children.

The judge said she must consider the physical impact on the woman, which can be seen from the images handed into court. In addition, she said the accused had no respect for the court’s protection order, his partner and his child.

She stated that as there was no guilty plea and no remorse shown by the accused, mitigation was limited to his good work history and his personal circumstances.

Judge Codd sentenced the man to four years in prison and suspended the final six months on a number of conditions.