Man who warned ex-partner to “sleep with one eye open” avoids jail

A person who warned his ex-partner to “sleep with one eye open” after threatening to kill her has walked free from courtroom.

PJ Crossan appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Courtroom after making the chilling threats to his former accomplice Claire McVeigh on Could twentieth, 2020.

The courtroom heard how Crossan had been in a relationship with Ms McVeigh but it surely has completed and the couple had a daughter collectively.

Painter and decorator Crossan had been attributable to gather the kid earlier within the day however failed to indicate up.

He later referred to as Ms McVeigh from a non-public quantity warning her to sleep with one eye open and threatening her that she was “going up in flames” earlier than calling her a “tramp, ratbag, bastard.”

A terrified Ms McVeigh contacted Gardai in Milford in a distressed state and moved her youngsters to a distinct home that night time fearing the threats had been real.

Crossan was arrested the identical day and admitted leaving the threatening message however denied he had any intention of carrying them out.

The courtroom was instructed that the accused has 23 earlier convictions together with two for assault inflicting hurt, three for legal harm, 13 for site visitors offences and 4 for public order.

Ms McVeigh was cross-examined by barrister for Crossan, Mr Peter Nolan, who revealed how she had been in a relationship with the accused for 9 years however they cut up.

Ms McVeigh mentioned she wished to attract the grievance in opposition to Crossan.

She mentioned she had bought a home beside Crossan’s household whom she mentioned had been very supportive to her and her youngsters.

On reflection, Ms McVeigh mentioned she felt that her former accomplice was intoxicated and was by no means going to do what he threatened to do.

“I didn’t realise the results and that he could possibly be jailed and that’s not what I wished as he is a good assist,” she mentioned.

She added that they had been now getting on a lot better and that he was an excellent father.

The investigating Garda confirmed that Crossan has not come to their consideration and “seems to have moved on” and that he’s attempting to take care of his alcohol points.

The accused himself was put within the witness field by Mr Nolan.

He admitted the connection is over and that he’s very sorry for what he did and what he put Ms McVeigh by means of and the way he scared her.

He attended Whiteoaks Rehab Centre and attends AA however admits he nonetheless takes the occasional drink.

Mr Nolan mentioned his shopper his shopper had pleaded responsible however that this was merely a drunken row on the cellphone and that he would by no means think about hurting Ms McVeigh or her youngsters.

“He produced an announcement over the cellphone that was nothing in need of excessive to say the least. He has admitted it and apologised however he says he didn’t imply it,” he added.

Mr Nolan mentioned his shopper is now 35 and a modified man who has executed effectively and is attempting to assist his household earlier than including that “drink is the worm within the apple.”

“It’s a blight and I’m undecided what he can do however I might ask the courtroom to not impose a custodial sentence however to take another method,” he added.

Passing sentence Decide John Aylmer mentioned he had listened to Ms McVeigh whom he mentioned was anxious to elucidate, not withstanding that she was very frightened on the night time, that this was actually a drunken rant.

He added that he additionally heard her specific the view that she didn’t need him to go to jail and that he was father who has an energetic function in his household’s life.

Decide Aylmer mentioned Crossan had pleaded responsible but it surely was clear that he was drunk on the time however that there as nonetheless intent albeit it drunken intent.

He mentioned that in all the circumstances he positioned the offence on the decrease finish of the size however careworn that Crossan, of Lough Highway, Milford, nonetheless has an issue with alcohol habit.

Earlier than mitigation he mentioned the offence merited a sentence of 18 months in jail.

In mitigation, he added the accused had maturely drastically prior to now three years and that he has engaged full as a dad or mum in a fulsome method.

He additionally added that Ms McVeigh’s choice to withdraw her grievance was not attributable to any form of duress by the accused.

In these circumstances he diminished the sentence to certainly one of 12 months in jail.

He added that not withstanding his earlier convictions and the truth that he has numerous work to do along with his alcohol habit, the accused has made such massive progress and has matured a lot that he was going to droop the 12 month sentence in its entirety.

Mr Nolan requested if the courtroom was thought of to impose some suggestion for alcohol remedy.

Decide Aylmer declined saying this choice was “as much as him”.

“If he doesn’t take care of it (his alcohol habit) it’s probably he’ll get into bother of some kind once more and in that occasion he gained’t anticipate to get the leniency proven to him earlier than,” he added.

Man who warned ex-partner to “sleep with one eye open” avoids jail was final modified: July eighth, 2023 by Workers Author