Man imprisoned following assault on former partner’s throat

A man has received a prison sentence of four years and two months for an “appalling assault” during which he stood on his former partner’s head and throat. Peter O’Kane, 42, of Drumderg Road in Draperstown, confessed to assaulting his ex-partner at their home in April 2023. This incident took place three years after he had perpetrated another grave assault on her. On Wednesday, Judge Philip Babington informed Londonderry Crown Court, “This is one of the worst cases of its type to come before me.” Initially, O’Kane had denied the assault against the woman, but he altered his plea to guilty prior to the scheduled commencement of his trial. According to a prosecutor, O’Kane assaulted the woman after a verbal disagreement. The prosecutor stated to the court, “He grabbed her with both hands around her throat and began to strangle her.” The barrister further explained that O’Kane subsequently forced her to the ground, maintaining his hands on her throat, before proceeding with a prolonged and brutal assault. The lawyer also mentioned, “After the assault, he leaned down and whispered to her, ‘You are lucky I like you’.” The victim suffered numerous injuries across different parts of her body. Judge Babington remarked that despite O’Kane’s delayed acceptance that his actions were unacceptable and unjustifiable, they were nonetheless “cowardly and disgraceful.” The judge commented, “This was an appalling assault on his partner who he had assaulted previously in a similar way.” He reiterated, “This is one of the worst cases of its type to come before me.” The judge further stated, “This man is obviously someone who is used to inflicting violence in a domestic setting.” Additionally, the judge issued a restraining order, prohibiting O’Kane from any direct or indirect communication or contact with his victim for a duration of five years.