Woman had to eat and drink through straw for months after attack

Olivia Kelleher

A man whose attack on his partner was so violent that she ended up having to eat and drink through straws for months afterwards has been jailed for three years.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Jonathan Kingsbury (41) returned from a night out with his partner almost three years ago and hit her head off a counter top and a wall in her home.

Garda Aisling Brosnan indicated that the attack occurred on March 11th, 2023. Kingsbury had been drinking for the night at a pub in Cork. After hitting her head, he went on to punch the woman in the face.

Brosnan said that Kingsbury then “put his hands around her neck and threw heavy kitchen items at her.” He had also broken her phone at this point.

The victim in the case had metal plates inserted into both sides of her fractured jaw following the incident. She also suffered a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and lost two teeth.

Brosnan said that the woman “ran from the house and called to neighbours who contacted gardaí” about the attack. She was hospitalised for three days and required surgery involving a metal plate on both sides of her face.

Kingsbury, formerly of Connolly Road in Ballyphehane in Cork city and more recently of Schull in west Cork, pleaded guilty to a count of assault causing harm and to a count of criminal damage.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said that she suffers from anxiety and doesn’t sleep properly. She stated that she is often reluctant to leave her house.

“Before I go anywhere, I'll get an anxiety attack. It's horrible. I want to cry. I want to get sick, I start shaking. I start overthinking things.

When I do go out, it's just rushing to get things done and get back home. I'm always afraid I'll bump into him. When I sleep, I sometimes have a dream, and he could be in the dream, so I wake up, and that's it then — I'm awake and lying in bed or walking up and down the kitchen with anxiety.

"Sometimes if I hear noises at night, I'm afraid that it's him at my door. I even got my locks changed, as I didn't know if he had keys. I was always bubbly, but I don't go out anymore.”

The woman said that her jaw still gets stiff when she eats whilst the metal plates have made her think twice about travelling.

“I'm going abroad in June and I'm terrified about the machines and metal detectors in the airport, that my jaw will set them off. This is my first time going abroad since the assault.

"For months after it, I was eating and drinking through straws. I lost two teeth as well because of the punches he gave me.”

Defence barrister Nikki O’Sullivan said that her client wanted to repeat his apology to the victim and to assure her he would never go near her again. She said that Kingsbury had been sober for the past 18 months. He is disgusted with himself for his actions on the night.

Judge Helen Boyle said that the attack had had a very serious psychological and physical impact on the victim.

“She spent months afterwards eating and drinking through straws. Her jaw still gets stiff very easily. She (the victim) was afraid of meeting you, and her daughter was also very afraid of bumping into you."