MAN JAILED AFTER HE STRANGLED AND BEAT PARTNER IN VICIOUS ATTACK
A man from West Belfast received a prison sentence of 32 months today following a domestic abuse incident involving his partner.Raymond McCrory, aged 40, who previously resided on Brittons Drive but was identified on court documents as being in custody at HMP Maghaberry, admitted to charges including non-fatal strangulation/asphyxiation and assault.
During the hearing at Belfast Crown Court, it was revealed that on Sunday, July 14, 2024, McCrory arrived at his partner’s residence while under the influence of alcohol, having been drinking throughout that day.
He was verbally aggressive towards his partner, who then asked him to leave.
McCrory returned around 3:30 pm, but his partner had locked the doors and prevented his entry.
Said a prosecution lawyer.
"He went to the rear of the property and climbed through a kitchen window and in doing so smashed a glass ornament and an ashtray.
"When the victim entered the kitchen, McCrory grabbed her by the throat, pushed her against the wall of the kitchen, held his hand around her throat and repeatedly punched her to her head and face.
"This caused her to fall to the ground and she was then dragged across the floor and kicked a number of times to her body and head.'' The victim squealed out and McCrory stopped, telling her: "I love you.
Look what you are making me do.'' Police attended the scene and observed significant bleeding to the victim's face and officers took photographs of her injuries.
"They showed significant abrasions across the face, with bleeding from the mouth and lips.
The defendant was located in the kitchen and there were blood stains on his shoes and blood droplets on his T-shirt,'' said the prosecutor.
McCrory was arrested and taken to Musgrave Police Station and was "abusive and threatening to officers''.
He was interviewed the following day and made no comment responses to all questions.
The victim later reported that had "lumps to her head, pain to her teeth, pain across her abdomen, pain to her ribs and pain to her throat which had been throttled''.
The court heard that McCrory had been employed previously as a factory operator but has not worked since 2021 due to his mental health issues.
According to a pre-sentence report, McCrory reported substance misuse issues from his adolescence and later in life having an addiction for Pregabalin and cocaine.
McCrory said he was also using crack cocaine along with alcohol which made him "more aggressive'' and he also had a gambling problem.
The defendant has 39 previous convictions, five entries for assault including two on police and one serious assault.
In August 2018 he received a seven month prison sentence in relation to an assault on a previous partner in which he punched her to the side of the head.
While she was prone on the ground she was kicked to the head.
The victim reported that McCrory grabbed her by the hair and she lost consciousness.
There was also a history of police call outs going back to 2009.
The report compiled by a probation officer said a risk management meeting was held in October 2025 to discuss whether McCrory passed the threshold of posing a danger to the public given his record and the two attacks on separate partners.
The meeting concluded: "The history of call outs was considered along with his violent behaviour within relationships which included threats, intimidation and physical harm.
"Taking this into consideration, McCrory does meet the criteria for an assessment of posing a serious risk of serious harm''.
Judge Patrick Lynch KC said he agreed with the Probation Board's dangerousness assessment, stating: "I have determined that Mr McCrory does pose a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public .'' Imposing a 32-month prison sentence, Judge Lynch said McCrory would spend a further 18 months on supervised licence on his release from custody.
