A MAN WHOSE attack on his partner was so violent that she ended up having to eat and drink through straws for months afterwards has been jailed for three years.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Jonathan Kingsbury (41) returned from a night out with his partner almost three years ago and hit her head off a countertop and a wall in her home.

Garda Aisling Brosnan indicated that the attack occurred on 11 March 2023. Kingsbury had been drinking for the night at a pub in Cork. After hitting her head he went on to punch the woman in the face.

Brosnan said that Kingsbury then “put his hands around her neck and threw heavy kitchen items at her”. He had also broken her phone at this point.

The victim in the case had metal plates inserted into both sides of her fractured jaw following the incident. She also suffered a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and lost two teeth.

Brosnan said that the woman “ran from the house and called to neighbours who contacted gardaí” about the attack. She was hospitalised for three days and required surgery involving metal plate insertion on both sides of her face.

Kingsbury, formerly of Connolly Road in Ballyphehane in Cork city and more recently of Schull in west Cork, pleaded guilty to a count of assault causing harm and to a count of criminal damage.

In a victim impact statement the woman said that she suffers from anxiety and doesn’t sleep properly. She stated that she is often reluctant to leave her house.

“Before I go anywhere, I’ll get an anxiety attack. It’s horrible. I want to cry. I want to get sick, I start shaking. I start over-thinking things.

“When I do go out, it’s just rushing to get things done and get back home. I’m always afraid I’ll bump into him. When I sleep, I sometimes have a dream and he could be in the dream so I wake up and that’s it then — I’m awake and lying in bed or walking up and down the kitchen with anxiety.

“Sometimes if I hear noises at night, I’m afraid that it’s him at my door. I even got my locks changed as I didn’t know if he had keys. I was always bubbly but I don’t go out anymore.”

The woman said that her jaw still gets stiff when she eats whilst the metal plates have made her think twice about travelling.

“I’m going away in June abroad and I’m terrified about the machines and metal detectors in the airport, that my jaw will set them off. This is my first time going abroad since the assault.

“For months after it, I was eating and drinking through straws. I lost two teeth as well because of the punches he gave me.”

Defence barrister Nikki O’Sullivan BL said that her client wanted to repeat his apology to the victim and to assure her he would never go near her again. She said that Kingsbury was sober now for the past 18 months. He is disgusted at himself for his actions on the night.

Judge Helen Boyle said that the attack had had a very serious psychological and physical impact on the victim.

“She spent months afterwards eating and drinking through straws. Her jaw still gets stiff very easily. She [the victim] was afraid of meeting you and her daughter was also very afraid of bumping in to you.

“It is an aggravating factor that the assault was carried out on your partner in her own home. There was some element of not acknowledging that this was entirely your fault. It is very clear to everyone here that the blame lies with you [Kingsbury] for the vicious assault you carried out.”

By whey of mitigation the Judge noted that Kingsbury was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions and had saved the victim the trauma of having to give evidence at a trial.

She said that Kingsbury was also off drugs and drink and had been assessed as being unlikely to pose a risk to the victim in the case in the future. However, the judge warned that he could pose a threat to an intimate partner in the future if he relapsed.

Boyle thanked the victim for attending court and for delivering her victim impact statement. She jailed Kingsbury for three years and nine months suspending the last nine months of the sentence for a period of two years.

A one year sentence for criminal damage will run concurrently.

Kingsbury has to keep the peace and be of good behaviour when he is released from custody. He also has to engage with the probation and welfare service.