Ms Pierce showed gardaí a zip-locked bag containing some of her hair which she said was ripped from her head by Connor. On the morning of the incident Ms Pierce asked Connor to leave the house and return his key after a disagreement over the non-payment of rent and bills. As Ms Pierce tried to make for the door, he caught her and started punching her in the face with a closed fist until she fell to the ground. Connor only stopped the assault after he punched Ms Pierce so hard that he lost his balance and fell over, which enabled her to escape. Ms Justice Ní­ Raifeartaigh said the appropriate custodial sentence would be 2½ years.

Source: The Irish Times September 28, 2020 17:26 UTC