By Ashleigh Mcdonald
Copyright belfastlive
A 37-year old man who assaulted and strangled his partner then spat on her as he was leaving her home was jailed for two years today. Dominic McGoldrick – who Belfast Crown Court heard had a “significant domestic violence record”- will spend an additional two years on supervised licence when he is released from prison. During the violent incident in December 2024, McGoldrick also held a knife to his friend’s throat. With an address at Centenary House on Belfast’s Victoria Street, McGoldrick was sentenced for three offences aggravated by reason of involving domestic abuse. He admitted charges of non-fatal strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage. The court heard that in September 2024, McGoldrick entered into a relationship with the injured party shortly after he was released from prison for an unrelated incident. He stayed at her home regularly and in the early hours of December 6 last year, the injured party was woken from her sleep by McGoldrick, who was unsettled in bed. After she tried to settle him, McGoldrick became aggressive. He picked up an empty wine bottle and threw it at the wall behind her which resulted in smashed glass falling on her and the bed. He then got out of bed, punched the TV and threw it to the floor and also damaged the bedroom door. Following this, McGoldrick grabbed his partner by the hair and dragged her to the floor before punching her several times in the face. She can’t recall how many times she was struck but she remembered blood pouring down her face. As she lay in the floor, McGoldrick put his hand around her throat and choked her until she passed out. After she regained consciousness, the injured woman ran down the stairs to seek help from one McGoldrick’s male friends who was staying over and sleeping on the sofa that night. When he entered the living room, McGoldrick turned on his friend, grabbed a knife which he held to his friend’s throat and said ‘Whose side are taking, mine or hers?’ McGoldrick then went back up the stairs and packed his belongings into a bag. As he was leaving, he spat on his partner’s back as she lay exhausted on a downstairs floor. She was treated in hospital for a number of injuries including facial cuts and bruising to her arm. McGoldrick was arrested later that day and during an interview, he gave a ‘no comment’ response to police. Defence barrister Michael Boyd spoke of a “lack of stability” in McGoldrick’s life from an early age and his “abuse of alcohol over the years.” Mr Boyd also said that his client accepted this was a “very serious matter” and that his pleas of guilt spared the injured party the ordeal of coming to court. Noting McGoldrick had 123 previous convictions, Judge Neil Rafferty KC revealed this included a “significant domestic violence record”. He said: “It is quite clear there is an extensive problem with this defendant and inter-personal relationships.” Also noted by the Judge were further defence submissions which set out a diagnosis of PTSD due to previous childhood experiences and an excessive use of alcohol. McGoldrick also suffers from periods of poor mental health which Judge Rafferty said was “exacerbated by his use of drugs and alcohol.” Regarding the December 2024 incident and in particular the choking, Judge Rafferty said: “She feared, understandably given the terrifying nature of non fatal strangulation, that she was going to die.” Imposing the four-year sentence, Judge Raffety said McGoldrick’s offending behaviour should be addressed during his two years on licence. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
