court hearing Man (28) accused of biting his partner and threatening to put a cigarette in her eye

A DUBLIN man bit his partner on the scalp, threatened to put a cigarette in her eye and held a lighter beside her face after accusing her of having an affair, it is alleged.

Adam O’Toole (28) is also accused of falsely imprisoning the woman in their bedroom during one of three separate attacks on her.

He is facing trial after a judge ruled the allegations were too serious to be dealt with at Dublin District Court.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case for the consent of the DPP for a return for trial to the circuit court.

Mr O’Toole, of Summerhill Place, Dublin 1 is charged with assault causing harm to his then partner three times at their home on August 8, 9 and 11, 2019.

He is also accused of one count of falsely imprisoning her on the later date.

Garda Sergeant Tony Flanagan said in the first incident, the prosecution maintained, the accused took the woman’s phone and went through it, making “various allegations with regard to her having an affair.”

While making the allegations, he allegedly grabbed her by the throat and threw her on the bed. She suffered bruising and a thumb mark to her neck, as well as scratch marks to her chest.

In the second incident, it was alleged the accused became extremely aggressive and in the course of an assault, grabbed a cigarette lighter, pulled her back by the hair and lit the lighter to the right side of her face.

It also was alleged he punched her on the cheek and kicked her right upper leg.

On this occasion, the woman grabbed some items of clothing and ran out the front door.

In the third alleged incident, during a tirade of abuse at her, he grabbed her by the hair, put her head back and “threatened he would put a cigarette into her eye,” Sgt Flanagan said.

“While she was still in the grip he had on her hair, he bit her on the scalp,” he alleged.

The woman tried to leave the bedroom and he refused to let her go, continuing to be verbally abusive.

“Every time she tried to leave, he pulled her by the hair and put his hand over her mouth, telling her to shut up,” Sgt Flanagan said.

He allegedly pulled her down and threw her on the bed and things “quietened down” but he sat in a chair beside her and would not let her leave, it was alleged.

He grabbed her hair and when she tried to get up, he punched her to the left jaw, threw her to the ground and began to kick her, then dragged her by the hair to the bed.

She made good her escape and alerted the gardai.

Defence solicitor Yvonne Bambury said the accused and woman were in a relationship and each of them had their own issues at the time.

Judge Smyth refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case to a date next month.

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Online Editors