Man receives four-year sentence for partner’s jaw injury and dangerous driving

A four-year sentence has been imposed on a man who fractured his partner’s jaw before driving away from the location under the influence of alcohol. Dean Milligan’s dangerous and impaired driving led to a police pursuit, which concluded only after he was involved in a collision. Milligan, aged 36, residing at Crewe Road in Maghera, received his sentence for a total of five charges at Belfast Crown Court. Judge Patrick Lynch, who allocated the term equally between incarceration and release on licence, characterized Milligan’s driving as “appalling”. The court was informed that on April 10 2023, Milligan was present at the Ballyclare residence of his former partner. Following his exit from a hot tub, Milligan pursued the victim into the kitchen, where he threw her portable speaker against a wall, hurled a chair at the kitchen door, and struck her jaw. While she attempted to contact the police, Milligan seized her mobile phone and cast it to the ground. This incident was observed by the victim’s 14-year-old son, who proceeded to dial 999. Concurrently, Milligan entered his vehicle and departed rapidly. Police officers witnessed Milligan operating his vehicle at speeds reaching 120 miles per hour before he missed a junction and collided. He was apprehended at the site of the crash and subsequently failed both a breathalyser and a blood test. Milligan subsequently admitted guilt to five charges: assaulting the victim and inflicting actual bodily harm, causing criminal damage to property in her residence including her mobile phone, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving with an excessive alcohol level. Judge Lynch additionally imposed a four-year driving disqualification on Milligan. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.