A prisoner sent a phone by taxi to his partner’s home so he could intimidate her.
Vincent McDonagh refused to accept his relationship with his ex-partner Donna Flanagan was over.
The 25-year-old bombarded her with phonecalls and called to her home despite being barred from it.
McDonagh, aged 25, appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court in Donegal charged with burglary and making threats to damage property.
McDonagh, who has three children with Ms Flanagan, was caught by Gardai after breaking into his ex-partner’s home at Forest Park, Killygordan on March 10th last.
He kicked in her back door, smashed her phone and then struck her with a brush.
As she tried to phone Gardai he told her “I’m going to kill you and I don’t care who hears you”
He was arrested by Gardai but a few weeks later on May 17th, McDonagh burgled Ms. Flanagan’s home again.
He persuaded his young son to open a door and gained access to the house and again terrorised his ex-partner.
He was then found hiding in the attic of the house when Gardai arrived.
Garda Gerard McCready said McDonagh constantly called Ms Flanagan and these calls were all logged and that he felt that McDonagh was intimidating his ex-partner to withdraw the charges against him.
Garda Ciaran McDonagh said on another occasion, McDonagh had sent a phone from Castlerea Prison by taxi with another individual so he could speak to his ex-partner.
A victim impact statement revealed how Ms Flanagan suffered panic attacks
She claimed that McDonagh, who is originally from Kilkenny, had sent family and friends to her home trying to get her to withdraw the charges and that she was terrified McDonagh would get out of prison and again break into her home.
Barrister for the accused Peter Nolan told the court that it was a fact that Ms Flanagan and the couple’s three children had visited his client in prison.
However, Judge John Aylmer said he did not accept that Ms Flanagan was sending mixed messages to her ex-partner by visiting him in prison.
“I take that with a pinch of salt. She was in a position that she has three children which Mr. McDonagh is the father of. She can only be commended for her attitude,” said Judge Aylmer.
He sentenced McDonagh to a total of 10 months in prison for burglary but backdated it to May when the accused was put into custody and also took the threat to damage property into consideration.