Released after eight months

A MAN has been released from prison after serving over eight months in custody for the assault of his ex-girlfriend.

A report from the Governor of Castlerea Prison described Dion McCaffrey (36) as an “exemplary” prisoner who attended AA meetings and was given positions of responsibility during his time there.

McCaffrey pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Pamela Dunne at her home in 2024 at an earlier court hearing.

He had been granted bail but was unable to avail of it because he couldn’t provide a residential address outside of Cavan Town while he was awaiting trial.

When he came before Judge John Aylmer in the circuit court, Dion McCaffrey’s defence barrister said he is “a different man today than he was then”.

Mr McCaffrey was taken from Castlerea Prison to appear before the recent Cavan Circuit Court sessions.

Garda Sergeant Gethings said, at the time of the offences, Dion McCaffrey had been living with his former girlfriend for about two weeks at her home at a property on Maple Drive, Drumgola Wood, Cavan “because he’d nowhere else to stay”.

Giving evidence, Gda Gethings described how Ms Dunne came home from work on October 25, 2024, and Mr McCaffrey “seemed under the influence of something” and he was “banging stuff”.

She described how, when she tried to leave, McCaffrey blocked the kitchen door and wouldn’t let her out. And, when she went to make for the front door, he stopped her, according to Ms Dunne’s statement. “He forced the door closed on my hand,” she added.

Explaining how McCaffrey’s behaviour continued to be erratic and aggressive, Pamela Dunne said: “He then pushed me on to the bed of his bedroom and, every time I tried to get back up, he pushed me down. He kept punching and kicking doors.”

Ms Dunne hurt her leg as she tried to escape through a window, and she hurt her hip off the floor.

“He kept kicking and punching,” she recounted. “He said I’d ruined his life and he wouldn’t get a job.”

In her statement she also said, while McCaffrey had her wrist jammed in the door, he was also biting down on her left bicep and “broke skin”. Later, she had to attend Cavan General Hospital to get a tetanus injection and antibiotics.

A medical report submitted to the court detailed how Ms Dunne had bruising and evidence of a human bite on her bicep as described. The report also noted “psychological damage” arising from the incident.

The court also heard from Garda Averil Duffy who dealt with Pamela Dunne when she presented at the front desk of Cavan Garda Station on the night in question. The garda statement said, when the Garda Armed Response Unit attended the property at Maple Drive, they found McCaffrey locked in his bedroom. He was arrested at 22:50 and brought to Cavan Garda Station.

“He claimed Ms Dunne was aggressive with him, and he pushed her away in the chest area,” Garda Duffy’s statement said.

Victim impact

Pamela Dunne’s victim impact statement described the negative impact Dion McCaffrey’s actions have had on her life.

“I am fearful in my own home now,” she said. And to that end, she has installed CCTV and has to take anti-depressants especially in the run up to court dates.

“I want him to know the embarrassment all this has brought on me,” she said and she described how she has a scar on her left bicep and had to incur the financial cost of hospital, GP, medication and counselling bills.

“He’s destroyed my trust in men,” she said. “I was just trying to help Dion out when this happened.”

Ms Dunne also revealed that, when McCaffrey tried to be intimate with her during her ordeal, she feared “that things would get darker”.

‘Remorseful’

Defence barrister, Paul Greene BL, said his client was “remorseful”.

“I submit that man now and the man before you today is a different man,” Mr Greene said. “He had no fixed abode at the time and he had problems with alcohol.

“Not being able to take up bail since he has been in custody has been an opportunity for his rehabilitation,” the barrister continued, and he said McCaffrey attends AA meetings in prison.

He also said it is “of significance that Dion McCaffrey has the responsibility for cleaning the Governor’s floor and has the job of cleaning the kitchen and mess in Castlrea Prison and these are jobs of significant trust”.

Paul Greene said McCaffrey worked as a retail manager and had a supportive family.

“He’s sorry for what has occurred,” the barrister said.

“The evidence of his rehabilitation is there, and he’s been in custody for a significant period already,” Mr Greene concluded.

Sentencing

Judge John Aylmer requested a Probation and Welfare Service report to be carried out on Dion McCaffrey and asked that his suitability for community service be assessed and while he awaited both reports adjourned sentencing until the following week.

McCaffrey pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Pamela Dunne and had served over eight months in custody while on bail.

Prosecuting barrister Monica Lawlor said the DPP agreed to take two other charges relating to the incident into consideration.

In sentencing, Judge John Aylmer said he placed the assault on the mid-range of such offending which merited a prison sentence of two and a half years.

“However,” the judge said he would “take into consideration his attitude and guilty plea” and acknowledged McCaffrey had no “concerning” previous convictions and had apologised for his actions.

The judge also gave him credit for how he spent his time in custody and his engagement with rehab services.

Taking these mitigating factors into account, Judge Aylmer said he could reduce the prison sentence to 20 months with credit given for the eight and a half months he has already spent in Castlrea Prison.

In the end, Judge Aylmer suspended the remainder of the entirety of the remainder of the 20-month sentence for a period of 12 months on the conditions that McCaffrey keep the peace and go under the supervision of the Probation Service.