A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for committing a vicious and horrific attack on his helpless and vulnerable female partner, who was 32 weeks pregnant.
RTE reports that Dean Paget, who was homeless, beat 32-year-old Lisa Ward in the early hours of 25 April 2021, brutally kicking her in the abdomen and dragging her hair through the streets of Dublin.
Their daughter, whom they planned to name Ruby Rose, was pronounced dead at Rotunda Hospital later in the day.
Paget pleaded guilty to attempted murder and charges of intentionally cutting off the life of a fetus, false detention and harming Mrs Ward were also considered.
They were both drug addicts and were living in a tent on Montague Lane at the time.
According to the national broadcaster, Judge Paul McDermott said what Paget did to his partner was humiliating and degrading with no regard for her pregnancy as a human being or mother of his child.
Describing it as a “very sad and tragic case”, the judge said it was yet another tragedy that Ms Ward had to live in such desperate circumstances at such a vulnerable stage of her pregnancy, reports RTE.
The judge said the attack started because Paget said he saw Ms. Ward with another man.
In CCTV footage viewed by the court, Paget could be seen repeatedly hitting Ms Ward, kicking her in the abdomen and forcibly pulling her hair, the judge said was “severe and terrifying”, reports RTE.
Some of the recordings included audio in which Paget could be heard threatening to kill Ms Ward and threatening to “rip the child”, addressing the baby by her name.
The court heard that, when they returned to the tent, Ms Ward said Paget kicked her in the stomach, pulled her hair and choked her.
When she started screaming, he slapped her across the face and told her not to scream and not to scream.
The effect on Ms Ward, the judge said, was “harrowing”.
After managing to escape from the tent, she later reported to Rotunda Hospital, where doctors confirmed the baby’s death.
The court heard that the cause of death was placental abortion, where the placenta detaches from the uterus.
RTE reportst that the court heard that this was unbearable for the child and likely caused by the assault. Ms Ward had several bruises on her face and body.
In a victim impact statement, Ms Ward said attacks would stay with her for the rest of her life.
The judge said aggravating features of the case included the nature, intensity and duration of the vicious violence against Ms Ward, accompanied by threats to her life and her baby.
The national broadcaster reportst that no guns were used, she said, but the devastation that could be caused by repeatedly kicking a helpless pregnant woman could be as dangerous, and possibly deadly, as if he had used a gun.
He was sentenced to 14 years but was suspended the final year on the condition that he address the serious twin problems of violence and addiction in his own interests, as well as those of his family and community.
Ms. Ward sobbed during the sentencing hearing and thanked the judge as she left the courthouse.
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