'Danger to society' who terrorised ex-partner and threatened to stab a man is resentenced

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a sentence of eight years and seven months was not unduly lenient for a 'danger to society' who inflicted 'a reign of terror' on his former partner and threatened to stab a man to death.
However, the court ruled that the cumulative sentences imposed on Scott Donegan (39) could not stand due to how they were structured by the sentencing judge, and he was resentenced on Thursday.
Advertisement
Donegan, of Knockmore, Kilmilhil, Co Clare, pleaded guilty at Ennis Circuit Court to the false imprisonment of an ex-partner during a four-hour ordeal at his home on November 9th, 2022.
He also pleaded guilty to producing a knife at the same address on the same date, contrary to Section 11 of the Offensive Weapons and Firearms Act.
Detective Garda Donal Corkery told the Ennis court that Donegan took the mobile phone off the woman and forced her to sit in a chair 'where she was frozen out of fear due to the aggressive behaviour of Mr Donegan'.
Det Corkery stated that Donegan ran at the woman with a knife and put her in fear.
Advertisement
The detective said Donegan then grabbed the woman by the throat and squeezed her windpipe. He said that Donegan told her that he had a Glock handgun and a shotgun.
Det Corkery said that four of Donegan's previous convictions were for assault against three ex-partners when Donegan went under the name of Paul McMenamy.
This incident was committed while Donegan was on bail for a separate matter, relating to a charge of making threats to kill on April 19th, 2021, when he verbally abused a man and threatened to stab him to death.
The total sentence imposed for all offences at the Circuit Criminal Court in Ennis in September 2023 was eight years and seven months, with the final nine months suspended.
Advertisement
Judge Francis Comerford imposed 20 months for the offence of making threats to kill, with this sentence made consecutive to a sentence of 83 months for the false imprisonment and the production of a knife.
The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed this sentence, saying it was unduly lenient.
In delivering judgement on Thursday, Mr Justice John Edwards said the court did not fault the sentencing judge for regarding the false imprisonment offence as being the most serious offence, as the judge had carefully assessed the respondent's culpability in a careful and rigorous manner.
He said the sentencing judge was right in regarding the production of a knife as being an aggravating factor, as was the respondent's previous record.
Advertisement
However, Mr Justice Edwards went on to say: 'The sentencing judge was significantly in error in how he structured his sentence.'
He said it was clear that, where an offender is being sentenced for an offence committed while on bail, the sentence imposed should be made consecutive to the sentence imposed for the previous offence.
Mr Justice Edwards said that the sentencing judge was required to make the sentences for false imprisonment and the production of a knife consecutive to any sentence imposed for the offence involving threats to kill.
However, the sentencing judge had instead made the sentence for threats to kill consecutive to the other sentences.
Advertisement
He said that while the court found that the sentencing judge's failure to apply the statute correctly made no practical difference to the overall sentence, the sentences could not stand as presently structured.
He added that it did not follow, however, that the court regarded the overall sentence as unduly lenient.
Quashing the original sentence and moving on to resentencing, Mr Justice Edwards said that for the offence of making threats to kill, the court would nominate a headline sentence of 25 months and discount five months to reflect mitigation, leaving 20 months.
For the false imprisonment and the production of a knife, which were committed while the respondent was on bail, the court nominated a headline sentence of 10 years and five months and three years and four months, respectively.
Having considered mitigating factors, he reduced the sentences to six years and eleven months and 25 months respectively, to run concurrently. Mr Justice Edwards said this was to be consecutive to the 20 months for the offence of making threats to kill.
Mr Justice Edwards said the court would suspend the final nine months, making a cumulative sentence of seven years and ten months to be served.
Ireland
Young man (24) held Algerian in headlock during st...
Read More
Conditions of the suspended portion of the sentence are that Donegan is to keep the peace for three years post release, have no contact with the injured parties, and submit to supervision by the probation services.
In her victim impact statement, the Co Clare woman told the court that Scott Donegan 'is a danger to society, and he has scarred and damaged me for life'.
The woman said that Donegan imposed 'a reign of terror' on her during the four-hour ordeal despite her begging him to stop.
She said, 'I believed that I would be killed by him and never see my children or family again.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Independent

35 minutes ago

• The Independent

US strikes on Iran an ‘extraordinarily dangerous escalation'

The US strikes on Iran represent an 'extraordinarily dangerous escalation' of the conflict in the Middle East, the Irish foreign affairs minister has said. Simon Harris, who is also Ireland's deputy premier, said an escalation in the 'tinderbox' region was more likely than ever and that the international community were at risk of 'losing all control' of the conflict. Irish premier Micheal Martin and Mr Harris both called for an 'urgent' de-escalation and a negotiated solution on Iran's nuclear facilities. They said they are in close contact with their European counterparts before a meeting of EU foreign leaders on Monday and of EU leaders later in the week. ' Diplomacy and dialogue is ultimately the only way to resolve these issues,' Mr Martin said. 'Iran should commit not to develop nuclear weapons and disavow its nuclear and uranium enrichment programme. 'Nuclear safety is an issue here, modern warfare is very destructive. It is civilians who ultimately suffer, and that is why we need an end to these wars and bring an end to conflict.' Mr Martin said the escalation on Sunday should not draw attention away from the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. 'We shouldn't lose sight of the catastrophe that is still unfolding in Gaza while the war between Iran and Israel continues,' he said. 'What is happening in Gaza is appalling and a breach of international humanitarian law, and again, innocent civilians and children are being starved there, and we need that to come to an end.' Staff from Ireland's embassy in Tehran left the country on Friday as the embassy was closed, and updates are being provided on over 300 Irish peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon. Mr Harris said there were no plans to withdraw Irish troops and that 'decisions are being made constantly' to ensure their safety. When asked whether he supported Donald Trump's strikes on Iran, Mr Harris said: 'I think it's resulted in an extraordinarily dangerous escalation of a conflict that already best be described as a tinderbox. 'We're now entering a moment of particular danger, because I think the chances now of a spiral of escalation are more likely than ever before, and there is a real prospect now of the international community losing all control of this very, very volatile conflict.' He said there was only a 'very small' number of Irish citizens, many dual nationals, seeking an evacuation, and they were working with European counterparts. He said a significant update on this would be available in the hours ahead. 'Thank god we woke this morning to the International Atomic Energy Agency saying they haven't detected any increase in radiation,' he told RTE Radio. 'But imagine if we were waking up this morning to a situation where radiation levels were extraordinarily high, and the health and human danger that that would have presented far beyond Iran as well. So this is an extraordinarily dangerous time.' He said that it was 'sadly true' that international legal norms are not being adhered to, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Israel's 'genocidal activity' in Palestine and now the Iran-Israel conflict. He said there was a diplomatic process in train and his understanding from readouts was 'there was a commitment from the Iranian side to further talks'. Mr Harris said Ireland and Europe are 'fully united in the clear view' that Iran should not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. 'The way to address this was always through a negotiated solution. Any alternative to that is simply too dangerous for civilians, for the Middle East region and for global security. 'Together with my EU counterparts, we will in the coming hours and days discuss and review the latest developments and consider the next steps Europe can usefully play to support de-escalation.' Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan said people woke up on Sunday 'terrified, really, to be quite honest, about the prospect of what's unfolding'. He told RTE's The Week In Politics it is 'terrifying' for citizens in Iran and Israel. 'It does take great people to make leaps of faith in particular places in time to come forward, whether it was in relation to (Anwar el-Sadat) in Egypt, and later on in relation to Bill Clinton and what he did, we do now require people to actually get people around the table,' he said. 'Because ultimately, as the Taoiseach said, this is terrifying, not only for the innocent communities that are living in both countries, but as well as that for the neighbouring countries in the Middle East, who we obviously all hope are not drawn into a much bigger conflict.'

Daily Mail​

44 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

EXCLUSIVE Hero schoolboy tells how he saved girlfriend when her Muslim parents tried to strangle her in 'honor killing'

A heroic teenage boy has described how he saved his girlfriend's life as her parents allegedly tried to strangle her in an 'honor killing'. Ihsan Ali, 44, and his wife Zahraa Subhi Mohsin Ali, 40, are charged with second-degree attempted murder and attempted kidnapping after the attack on October 18. The girl, 17, who can't be named, ran away from home to Timberline High School in Lacey, Washington, after her parents tried to put her on a plane to Iraq. 'Her father had recently been threatening her with honor killing for refusing an arranged marriage with an older man in another county,' the girl told police. Shocking video showed Ihsan on the ground with his daughter in a chokehold outside the school, while classmates desperately tried to free her. Ihsan and Zahraa both pleaded not guilty and are expected to go on trial in July. The girl met her boyfriend at the school after she fled her home and school officials arranged for her to stay at a women's shelter. However, the school did not arrange transport there, so the couple went outside to catch a bus, and spotted Ihsan's pickup truck in the car park. The teenage boy explained to police in an interview on November 6 that a friend told him Ihsan had seen them and was heading their way. '[The girl] was scared, shaking, and had a tremble in her voice,' Detective Julie Mullen wrote in a report obtained by the Daily Mail. The boy stood between his girlfriend and her father as they tried to get to the bus as it arrived, and attempted to separate them when Ihsan tried to pull her away. Ihsan then allegedly punched him in the head and he remembered falling down and everything going black. '[He] said when he got up [the girl's] dad was "choking" her and [two other students] punched [Ihsan] in the face and people were yelling to call 911,' Mullen wrote. 'He started punching her dad in the face but he continued to choke [the girl] and said others were trying to pull her out while he continued to punch her dad in the head. 'He continued to punch Ishan until his "head got soft" and he got knocked out.' The boy then helped his girlfriend off the ground, but she 'couldn't breathe' and didn't know what was going on. Just as he was helping her to his feet, he alleged Zahraa and the girl's eldest sister Haneen, 21, came up behind them and pushed him out of the way to get to her. He told police he tried to 'fight them off' by putting up his arm up and pushing them away, and in the melee the girl and Zahraa were pushed to the ground. 'Once [the girl] and her mom were on the ground, her mom put her arm around her neck and started choking her,' Mullen wrote. He said that as he tried to pull the girl away from Zahraa, Haneen yelled 'what are you doing this?' at him. The boy was eventually able to pull his girlfriend to her feet and then away from Haneen when she allegedly grabbed her, and flee towards the school. The brave teenager suffered a 'boxer's fracture' to his finger as he tried to get Ishan off his girlfriend, and bruises and scratches on his head and face. He wasn't diagnosed with a concussion but had symptoms such as sensitivity to light and headaches when he tried to watch TV or play video games. His mother told police it 'took him several days to talk about the incident without crying'. The boy also told police about an earlier incident at the school with Zahraa on September 16 last year where she attacked him. He explained the incident was sparked by Zahraa seeing him and the girl kiss three times outside the school. The girl told him her 'life was ruined' after she realized that her mother had spotted them. '[The girl's] mom grabbed his arm and told him to get in her car but he continued to walk to the bus. [The boy] said he was yelling and causing a scene,' Mullen wrote. The girl earlier told police in a three-hour interview with police on October 24 that she ran away because she was terrified of being taken to Iraq where she would be married off, abused, and forced to have children - never to return home. She explained that after her boyfriend was knocked to the floor with his eyes closed, Ihsan grabbed her in a viscous attack. '[The girl] said her dad yanked her down and put her in a headlock. She said he was "choking" her "really hard" and she remembered grabbing his arm but then passed out,' police wrote. From there, her memory of Ihsan's attack ended, and she only knew what happened by watching the video of her boyfriend and classmates heroically saving her life. But the attempt on her life was not over, as Zahraa allegedly seized her and tried to finish the 'honor killing'. 'Someone pushed them to the ground, and then her mom started to choke her and was screaming in her ear,' Mullen wrote. The girl also detailed her father's alleged threats to kill her for dating an American boy, and refusing an arranged marriage. 'If I could kill you, I would kill you, but I can't do that. I can't do that because there's cops and CPS people involved right now because of you,' she claimed he said. 'And I can't touch you because you will immediately go to the school.' The girl told police Ihsan another time told her he wanted to 'hurt her so badly but there are cops here' but also told her how he would 'kill her no matter what happens' and he 'did not care if anyone saw him'. Police bodycam footage obtain by showed officers arriving at the school and arresting Ihsan, who demanded to speak to his daughter. 'Just let me tell her to come home - not like that. If I tell her to go home, she will go home,' he insisted, but police ignored him. Officers then had to deal with Zahraa and Haneen, who were hysterical and only left after Zahraa was allowed to speak to Ihsan. These are some of the cuts, welts, and broken bones the teenage girl suffered when her parents allegedly tried to strangle her in an 'honor killing' Police did not realize Zahraa also allegedly tried to kill her daughter until four days later, leaving her free to continue looking for her daughter, who was in hiding. Zahraa drove her youngest children, two boys aged five and three, into Canada and dropped them off with an Ihsan's brother and mother, who lived there. She then returned to Washington before trying to cross into Canada a second time with a 'notable quantity of baggage' on the night of October 22, but was arrested by customs officers.

Sky News

an hour ago

• Sky News

Festival season is here, but does politics have a place on the stage?

Festival season is under way, and leading the charge: the Isle of Wight Festival - dubbed "Europe's Woodstock" - with headliners including Sting and the Stereophonics. Former N-Sync star Justin Timberlake - a man who's crooned about his love of "dance, dance, dance" and has recently become a meme for his mic-centric moves on stage - is a headliner too. Meanwhile, Glastonbury Festival will see headline acts including Olivia Rodrigo, the 1975, and Charli XCX. But along with the headline stars and hot weather, politics has also found its way into the spotlight. Youth culture and political expression have long been part of the festival experience, with Vietnam, nuclear disarmament, Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine all attracting attention over the decades. This year, with geopolitics seemingly at a boiling point, the Israel-Hamas war has had far-reaching implications. As the Israel-Iran war follows in its wake, the conflict has prompted strong opinions on both sides. Irish-language rap trio Kneecap 's upcoming Glastonbury Festival set has become a flashpoint for robust debate, drawing protests from those calling for their set to be cancelled, as well as those championing their right to speak out. The root of the contention? Kneecap band member Liam O'Hanna, 27, was charged with a terror offence earlier this year, accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year. Hezbollah was proscribed in its entirety in 2019 because the government classed it as a terrorist organisation and said its attacks on Israel were "attempts to destabilise the fragile situation in the Middle East". Although "removed" from playing at Scottish music festival TRNSMT next month due to "safety concerns", Kneecap have remained on the Glastonbury bill, prompting the question: Is the stage a place for political opinion? 'If we think we're separate from world events, we're kidding ourselves' Faithless star Sister Bliss, who performed at the first of the re-instated Isle of Wight Festivals and is performing again this year, tells Sky News: "If we think that we're separate from world events, we're absolutely kidding ourselves. Our lives are tied intrinsically to everybody else's on the planet. "You can have certain people that express that in a way that is perhaps a tad crass, but I love that lyrically - especially on our records, in songs that we've made over the last 30 years - I feel that you can combine the personal and political in a way that's not tub-thumping or simplistic. These issues are very nuanced that are going on in the world right now." Speaking to Sky News at the Isle of Wight Festival, Clean Bandit star Grace Chatto says artists are right to use the stage to amplify their voice. "It is such a great place for political speech, like when Jeremy Corbyn spoke at Glastonbury - it was the most attended thing of the whole event, and it just brought such a feeling of unity and hope in that field on that day". The 39-year-old cellist adds: "Then recently, Kneecap and Massive Attack have just been so important, I think, and amazing." Earlier this month, Massive Attack, who have previously been critical of Israel, included footage of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his family as part of a video montage at one of their concerts. 'I've got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically' Fresh from the Isle of Wight Main Stage, Mae Muller tells Sky News: "With what's happening in Gaza, I know that's been a very prominent theme with people saying, 'Should we speak out about it or not?' But that's not political, it's a human rights issue. "It's important for us to use our voice, because not everybody can. If we feel strongly about something, and we can stand behind it, I think [the stage is] definitely a place to do it." Muller, who represented the UK at last year's Eurovision Song Competition - which became a highly politicised event despite the attempts of the organisers to keep it from the stage - continues: "Art is inherently political, and you can't really escape it. And we shouldn't want to escape it. It can be two things at once. [Politics] and fun can coexist." Meanwhile, Razorlight front-man Johnny Borrell, ahead of his Main Stage performance, tells Sky News: "Why not say what you believe in? Why does everyone get so precious? "You can disagree with people. I've got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically - they think the earth is flat. I like them as people, but I completely disagree with them in politics". Borrell adds: "We don't have a problem with disagreeing, but if everyone's tapping away [mimes typing on a phone] and they're like, 'No, I'm really angry, I'm going to tap back,' that's a different thing. That's what's changed recently." A 'disruptor' festival, showing the world that anything is possible' Regardless of the polarised times, Isle of Wight Festival promoter John Giddings, 72, says the Isle of Wight Festival experience should be a break from activism rather than a call to arms. The 72-year-old, who represents artists ranging from Blondie to Phil Collins, told Sky News: "We're purely about music and entertainment, and we are to switch off from politics for three or four days. We're in the business of entertaining people, not preaching to people. And I don't understand why people attempt to. That's a different forum." Giddings, who relaunched the iconic festival after it was outlawed by authorities in 1970, fearing the crowds and rowdy behaviour could detract from the island, may be keen to avoid political controversy, but he's keen to break the mould in other areas. Following a long line of stars before him, including Bob Dylon, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell, singer Emmanuel Kelly has become the first physically differently-abled artist to perform on the Isle of Wight Festival's Main Stage. The 31-year-old former X Factor star, who supported Coldplay on their Music Of The Spheres tour last year, says as far as accessibility is concerned, the Isle of Wight Festival is a trailblazer. Kelly tells Sky News: "Somebody that's different is on the stage and is able to show the world that anything's possible." Echoing the festival's early rebel roots, he credits it with being a "disruptor", adding, "They make the extra effort to teach the others around the world to make the extra effort as well… It's important and it's happening and I'm excited for it." The Isle of Wight Festival runs until Sunday 22 June, with the Glastonbury Festival kicking off on 25 June.