Bail refused Barber accused of pouring boiling water on woman during two-hour torture attack

A BARBER has been accused of “torturing” a woman over a drug debt by pouring boiling water over her and beating her with sticks in a two-hour ordeal at her home.

Paul Clarke (29) is alleged to have got an "associate" to boil a kettle before emptying cups of water on the woman’s hands, leaving her in “excruciating” pain and with second degree burns.

She had a Dublin scarf put in her mouth to stop her screaming in the assault, and her assailants returned the next day and threw more boiling water on her, a court was told.

Judge Treasa Kelly refused Mr Clarke bail at Dublin District Court and remanded him in custody, for the directions of the DPP.

The accused, of Clonard Road, Crumlin is charged with two counts of assault causing harm to the woman in November last year.

The court heard evidence of arrest, charge and caution on charges that were brought by gardai Kerrie Sullivan and Conor Mohan of Kevin Street station.

Objecting to bail, Gda Sullivan said it was alleged the accused and an associate called to an apartment in Dublin 8 on November 11. The occupants, a man and woman, were told a substantial drug debt was owed, Gda Sullivan said.

It was alleged the accused told the woman to put her hands on a table and struck her hands and arms a number of times with a stick.

The accused allegedly told his associate to boil a kettle before pouring four cups of boiling water over her hands. The woman’s hands were tied, a Dublin scarf was put in her mouth to stop her screaming and she was struck several times with a stick while demands were made that the debt was paid, the garda said. A leg was broken off a chair and used to further assault her, it was alleged.

The unprovoked attack lasted for two hours and the pair said they would be back the next day to collect the debt, Gda Sullivan said.

The following day, November 12, it was alleged the accused and associate called back and demanded the payment of the debt before the woman had boiling water thrown over her again and was struck in the upper chest and arms.

The woman described being in excruciating pain and agony and thought she was going to die, Gda Sullivan said.

It was an extremely violent incident in which the woman was held against her will and tortured before the accused allegedly returned the next day, further assaulting her, causing “significant injuries." She suffered second degree burns to her hands, chest and back and had a suspected broken finger.

CCTV evidence was gathered by gardai, as well as items from the apartment including a kettle, mop and chair missing a leg allegedly used in the assaults.

Clothing was seized in a search of the accused’s home.

Directions were being sought from the DPP for further serious charges.

Defence solicitor Daniel Hanahoe said it was accepted the allegations were serious but Mr Clarke was presumed innocent. The alleged incidents happened last November and he had not engaged with the alleged victim since and did not abscond, Mr Hanahoe said.

The judge remanded the accused in custody to Cloverhill District Court.

Mr Clarke has not yet entered pleas to the charges.