A MAN who kept his former girlfriend prisoner, viciously assaulted her and who threatened to kill her daughter has been convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Colm Kelly (34), Davitt Park, Ballybrack, also stole her rental car and took €200 from her at her home at Ballyogan Vale, Carrickmines, on February 14th, 2007.
The jury took 90 minutes to find Kelly guilty after a three-day trial. He had pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Michelle Murphy, unlawfully taking and using her car, false imprisonment and making demands of money with menaces.
Judge Frank O’Donnell thanked the jurors for their care and attention and remanded Kelly in custody until a sentence date in April.
Ms Murphy told Melanie Greally, prosecuting, that she went out with Kelly for “three or four weeks” in November before they broke up. She was terrified of him and he had previously threatened to burn down her house and kill her five-year-old daughter.
On February 14th, he arrived at her house with another man. He told her to go to the shop and buy them food but he would not let her take her child with her.
Kelly and the other man left at about 9pm but he returned later and demanded her car. She said she pleaded with him not to take it but he punched her twice before standing on her head and pulling her up by the hair.
He grabbed her by the throat and made her stay in the sitting room with him “so he could keep an eye on me”. In the morning she withdrew €200. Kelly then made her drive around with him for the day while he drank.