Man threatened to kill girlfriend in fit of rage
'JEALOUS' TRUCK DRIVER GETS SIX MONTHS IN JAIL
A CO. WEXFORD truck driver who falsely imprisoned his student girlfriend in a car and threatened to kill her in a fit of 'rage and jealously' was given a 10 months prison sentence with the final four months suspended by Waterford District Court, last week.
Liam Clince (28) of Killanne, Enniscorthy, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill the WIT student on two occasions at Ballycraddock, Dunhill, and at Kennedy Quay, Cork, and falsely imprisoning her in his car at Smoormor, Co. Waterford, on November 8, 2010.
Judge David Kennedy said it was a very frightening and horrendous experience for the girl. It had a profound affect on her and 'continued to do so'. There had to be punishment and the court had to impose a custodial sentence.
The court heard that the defendant 'fell head over heels' in love with the girl but he got involved in a heated argument with her over certain 'social exploits' on her part. The incidents arose out of an 'affair of the heart' that went terribly wrong, said Ken Cunningham, solr., defending. The court was told that on the night in question he stopped his car in a lane in Co. Waterford and pulled her out and pushed her against the vehicle. Then he got a wheel brace and banged it against the car. The girl ran up the lane but he followed and caught her and brought her back to the car and then drove through Co. Waterford towards Cork.
The ordeal lasted several hours and the girl fell asleep in the car and woke up to see a sign indicating the 'Port of Cork'. As the car drove along the quayside he told her he would put them both 'at the bottom of the river'. At that stage his mother rang and spoke to both of them and after that he delivered the girl back home.
Solicitor Ken Cunningham, defending, said his client was in a relationship with the girl for seven months and became jealous over certain social exploits by her. He was in an emotional state on the night in question. He came from a good family background and pleaded guilty in order to safe the injured part from having to give evidence in court.
Judge Kennedy apologised to the girl for asking her to come to court in order to get an indication of how the incidents affected her. He noted that the defendant was at low risk of re-offending but these were horrendous experience for anybody to go through.
