A father and his three sons who used batons, a hammer and a hurley to attack their brother's former partner have received a total of 10 years in suspended sentences at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Bernard Dowling snr (59), Bernard Dowling jnr (36), Darren Dowling (31) and Karl Dowling (23), all of Roseglen Avenue, Kilbarrack, and Brian Garrigan (26), Thornville Park, Kilbarrack, their sister's partner at the time, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Susan Lucas on January 17th, 2003.
Judge Frank O'Donnell said it was one of the most pathetic cases he ever had to deal with it and described it as a "sad, sad, sad tale to happen in modern Ireland" where five men, led by the grandfather of the woman's children, descend on a house in the middle of the night and assault a woman.
Judge O'Donnell said he had little time for any man who struck a woman and it could never be justified.
Bernard Dowling snr was given the longest sentence, four years, which was suspended after Judge O'Donnell took into account that he intended to move from the area and had already put a deposit down on a new family home in Co Meath.
His sons, Bernard jnr, Karl and Darren, all received three, two and one-year suspended sentences, respectively. Garrigan was given a three-year sentence which was also suspended.
Det Sgt Paul Scott told Garret Baker, prosecuting, that a sixth unidentified man who had never been prosecuted was seen striking Ms Lucas in the ribs with a baseball bat.
The five men before the court broke into Ms Lucas's home at 1.15am while she, her partner and her two children by Thomas Dowling, the Dowlings' brother, were sleeping.
Ms Lucas saw Garrigan run at her and hit her in the front and back of the head with something, which her son later said was a hammer. She was then dragged on to the landing where Bernard snr stamped on her head and hit her with a baton shouting: "You are going to be dead. We are going to kill you."
Det Sgt Scott said Bernard jnr started hitting her with a baton while also stamping on her head. Ms Lucas was continually blacking out during the attack.
Karl Dowling had a hurley with him and struck Ms Lucas on the legs and the shoulder, although it was not clear if he had used it to attack her.
Ms Lucas received staples to the front and back of her head, stitches to her forehead and had severe bruising on her body as a result of being struck with the various weapons.
She suffered from headaches, depression and anxiety and was now over-protective of her children and told gardaí that her life would never be the same again.
Det Sgt Scott agreed with both Bernard Condon, who was defending Garrigan, and Paul Green, defending Karl Dowling, that a cumulative sum of €20,000 had been put forward by Garrigan and the Dowling family as a sign of remorse for the attack on Ms Lucas.