‘Obsessive and possessive’ student pleads guilty to assault of former girlfriend

An "obsessive and possessive" university student has pleaded guilty to twice assaulting a "high-achieving" Ennis woman and ‘keying’ her new car, causing €1,100 worth of damage.

‘Obsessive and possessive’ student pleads guilty to assault of former girlfriend

By Gordon Deegan

An "obsessive and possessive" university student has pleaded guilty to twice assaulting a "high-achieving" Ennis woman and ‘keying’ her new car, causing €1,100 worth of damage.

At Ennis District Court, Inspector Tom Kennedy said that Chris Hanson (aged 21) of Clogga, Cratloe, Co Clare carried out his offences after his relationship with his then-girlfriend "took an unsavoury turn".

Insp. Kennedy said that the two were attending the University of Limerick (UL) when the relationship commenced in June 2016.

Outlining the background to the case, Insp. Kennedy said that the relationship was "fine" at the start for a number of months but the woman - now aged 22 - “would say that it took an unsavoury turn”.

Insp. Kennedy said: “This was in the context of a lot of intensity coming from Mr Hanson who was possessive and obsessive towards her and domineering. She felt that he dominated her.”

Insp. Kennedy said that one of the assaults took place on June 29, 2017, when Mr Hanson slapped his then-girlfriend in the face while the two of them were in the car.

Insp. Kennedy said: “He didn’t injure her but she got very upset by it. She was crying and was very upset over what happened.”

The inspector said that on July 13, 2017, the woman was staying over in Galway as part of her work “and he doesn’t want her doing that”.

Insp. Kennedy said: “There was a row in the car and she was hit on the arm to the extent that she sustained a bruise.”

Insp. Kennedy said that on July 21, Mr Hanson smashed a Daniel Wellington watch valued at €120 at his home in Cratloe and on July 25 caused €1,100 of damage to the bodywork of the woman's car when he ‘keyed' her 171-registered car in the grounds of Killashee House Hotel in Co. Kildare.

On the same date at the same location, Mr Hanson smashed the woman’s iPhone valued at €550.

Insp. Kennedy said that Mr Hanson has no previous convictions.

Solicitor for Mr Hanson, Caitríona Carmody said that Mr Hanson “is a young man who has never come to the attention of a court before".

She said: “He has let his family down and is acutely embarrassed about that and is most apologetic over what he put the victim through.”

Ms Carmody said that Mr Hanson “is extremely sorry for the upset he has caused everyone and most of all to the woman concerned. He is attending counselling in attempting to dealing with issues”.

She said that financial compensation is in place for the woman.

Ms Carmody said that Mr Hanson was studying International Business at UL and transferred to Technology Management.

Ms Carmody said that Mr Hanson did his Leaving Cert in St Caimin’s in Shannon.

Ms Carmody said that Mr Hanson was in a very intense relationship with the woman. She said that Mr Hanson’s then-girlfriend “was a high achiever and things began to deteriorate when she was branching from business into accounting around the time of an internship”.

Ms Carmody said: “He was worried that he would lose her and he reacted very badly.

"He was emotionally immature and she was trying her best to end the relationship."

Ms Carmody said that Mr Hanson went to counselling and was admitted to a psychiatric unit.

She stressed that there has been “no contact between the parties for a year” and that Mr Hanson “is a young man who has never come to the attention of a court before”.

Ms Carmody asked Judge Durcan to take into account Mr Hanson’s plea of guilty, good record and testimonials handed into court.

Judge Patrick Durcan said he required a pre-sentence Probation Report on the accused and a victim impact statement from the victim in the case.

Judge Durcan remanded Mr Hanson on bail to re-appear before the court in October.

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