First person in Ireland convicted of coercive control admits vicious assault on other woman

A CO DONEGAL man who was the first person in Ireland convicted of coercive control has admitted viciously assaulting another woman in a brutal, unprovoked attack.

Kevin Dunleavy was jailed for 21 months back in 2020 after harassing his then-girlfriend.

Dunleavy made almost 6,000 phone calls to the woman over a three-month period in 2019 when he would demand she scan her location to prove where she was.

He pleaded guilty to a number of charges including coercive control, harassment and making threats to damage property.

The Kerrykeel man, now aged 39, appeared again at Letterkenny Circuit Court where he admitted to violently assaulting another woman.

He pleaded guilty to a series of charges arising out of a bizarre incident against the woman whom he was dating in 2024.

Dunleavy admitted viciously assaulting the woman in the toilet of Kerrykeel Community Centre where his victim was attending a jiving class on 6 September 2024.

On the same date and location, Dunleavy pleaded guilty to attempting to strangle the woman while he also pleaded guilty to another charge of coercive control.

He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a man on 5 September 2024, also at Kerrykeel Community Centre.

He also pleaded guilty to arson on 6 September 2024 in Rathmullan when he damaged by fire, to wit, a grey Audi A4 car belonging to another person.

He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on 9 July 2024 at Killycolman, Rathmullan.

Detective Garda Eugene Organ outlined the case to state prosecutor Fiona Crawford.

He told how the accused, who has 130 previous convictions, followed the woman into the toilet of the hall and falsely accused her of having an affair with the dance teacher.

In a statement to gardaí, she told how she was receiving phone calls from a private number during the jiving class.

When she went to the toilet with her phone, Dunleavy saw his chance and followed the woman into the bathroom.

During a series of attacks, he shoved her, pushed her and then tried to strangle her with her own blouse until she almost passed out.

The woman begged Dunleavy to stop and said she swore on her children’s lives that she wouldn’t report the incident if he stopped.

As the brutal attack finished, the jiving class in the centre had also ended and the dance instructor noticed a handbag had been left behind.

A member of the dance class said the woman had gone to the toilet 20 minutes beforehand and when the dance teacher went to the toilet, he was met by Dunleavy dragging the woman out of the toilet by the hair.

Dunleavy came towards the dance teacher and headbutted him in the nose, leaving him with swelling and two black eyes the following day.

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The man told how he managed to defend himself and gave Dunleavy three punches.

Later that evening, the woman was at home in Rathmullan with her children when she noticed that Dunleavy was outside her rented home.

She saw him break a passenger window in the car, throw something into it and then the car went up in flames.

The car, valued at €9,500, was destroyed while a part of the house was also damaged in the blaze.

Later that night at approximately 1.49am, the woman received a call from Dunleavy, who asked her “What’s the craic with you? What’s wrong with you?”

The injured party bravely opted to read her own victim impact statement in court, sitting just feet from her attacker.

She said she wanted to make the victim impact statement because she wanted Dunleavy to receive the support services in prison.

She said she did not want to add to his suffering but said that he needed insight into his actions and to see that he needed help.

The woman told of her brutal ordeal at the hands of Dunleavy and told how his name-calling and shaming of her have destroyed her confidence and that the violence towards her leaves her living in constant fear.

“I don’t feel safe and I fear he will come after me again,” she said.

Another victim impact statement on behalf of the dance teacher told how he was forced to give up the class after the incident.

He said the incident had caused him great distress and that he now found himself looking over his shoulder.

He said he is also a father and that his children had to see the injuries to his face, which caused them and him great distress.

Barrister for the accused, Colm Smyth, instructed by solicitor Donough Cleary, said his client wanted to apologise to both the Milford Fore department and to the woman for all he had put them through.

Dunleavy told the woman that he wished he could go back in time, that he was ashamed of what he had done and that he hoped she could forgive him.

He told her “I can’t change the past but, hopefully, I can the future. I do believe I am where I am for what I have done. I’m sorry for everything I have done to you.”

Smyth said that his client had €9,500 to offer the woman from the sale of a vintage car which he had been restoring with his brother.

The woman was asked in court if she wished to accept the offer of remorse but said the insurance had already covered the destruction of the car, but that the money could be donated to charity.

Smyth said that Dunleavy had struggled with trust issues with people as his mother had left his father at a very young age.

He added his client had done a number of courses in prison after what he described as this “horrendous and appalling attack”.

Dunleavy also said he had an issue with alcohol but said he will not be drinking when he gets out of prison.

Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case until 8 December next for final sentencing.