EAMONN MCMANUS OF BELFAST SENTENCED TO 15 MONTHS FOR GLASS ORNAMENT ATTACK

A Belfast man named Eamonn McManus, from Short Strand, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after attacking his ex-partner with a glass ornament. He will also serve an equivalent period on supervised licence. The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to a single count of wounding related to an incident in November 2022. The judge described the attack, during which the woman was struck in the temple, as a "nasty incident." Belfast Crown Court heard that the victim had gone to McManus's home to take him shopping, during which he reportedly said to her, "I have got you where I want you now." He then struck her in the face, dragged her into a bedroom, and hit her with the ornament, causing her to fall to the floor. The prosecuting barrister stated that while she was on the ground, McManus hit her multiple times in the same area. The victim then stood up and called for help, shouting to neighbours by banging on the walls with a television remote. McManus responded by grabbing her around the neck and pushing her towards the kitchen to prevent her from leaving. Neighbours, alerted by her cries, knocked on the front door, and when McManus opened it, the victim ran out, bleeding from her face and clothes. During police interviews, McManus claimed that his ex-partner had punched and tried to stab him, denying that he struck her with the ornament. The court was told that she received treatment for multiple head injuries in hospital, including glue for a laceration on her temple. Judge Mark Reel, when passing sentence, noted that photographs of her injuries were "dramatic" and added, "This was a particularly nasty incident and the injuries inflicted could have been much worse."