A WOMAN has claimed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that her ex-boyfriend assaulted her, kept her prisoner overnight and threatened to kill her five-year-old daughter.
Colm Kelly (34), Davitt Park, Ballybrack, Co Dublin, is also accused of stealing the woman’s rental car and taking €200 from her at her home at Ballyogan Vale, Carrickmines, on February 14th, 2007.
He pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Michelle Murphy, unlawful taking and use of her car, false imprisonment and making demands of money with menaces.
Ms Murphy told Melanie Greally, prosecuting, that she went out with Mr Kelly for “three or four weeks” in November before they split up. She said she was terrified of him and he previously threatened to burn down her house and kill her daughter.
She said he arrived at her house with another man and told her he wanted to watch a football match. She said he then told her to go to the shop to buy them food, but that he wouldn’t let her take her child with her. She said he left at about 9pm and returned later, demanding her car. She claimed she pleaded with him not to take it and he punched her twice before standing on her head and pulling her up by the hair.
She alleged he said: “Give me the keys to the car, you wouldn’t like to see that happen to [her daughter], would you?”
She told Ms Greally she gave him the keys and he drove off, but returned a few hours later and demanded money. She said she would have to wait for the shop to open to access its ATM.
Ms Murphy said he grabbed her by the throat and made her stay in the sitting room with him. After a few hours, she said he let her lie on the bed and lay beside her. In the morning she went to the shop, withdrew €200 and bought Mr Kelly eight cans of cider. He then made her drive around with him while he drank, she said.
She said they got back to the house and he left with the car, saying he was going to drive to his parents’ home in Cork. She said she took some painkillers and fell asleep for a few hours before waking up and calling gardaí.
She was taken to hospital with facial swelling and gardaí arrested Mr Kelly the next day.
Lily Buckley, defending, put it to her that she was seen driving with Mr Kelly weeks after she said they had broken up. Ms Murphy replied that Mr Kelly had asked her to drive him somewhere and she was too terrified to refuse. She denied they were still in a relationship.
“Colm Kelly barged into my home and into my life and didn’t go until he was arrested,” she told Ms Buckley.