Man jailed for threatening to throw his ex-girlfriend in a septic tank

Olivia Kelleher

A Cork man who threatened to throw an ex-girlfriend in a septic tank “to shut her mouth and bury her” has been jailed for 18 months.

Michael Galvin (34), of Macroney, Kilworth in Co Cork, appeared before Cork Circuit Criminal Court having made death threats against the woman. He also punched her in the ribs and threw a lighter at her forehead causing a lesion.

Galvin also admitted threatening to ram the woman’s car. The court also heard that Galvin grabbed a broom and threatened to smash the car when his ex attempted to leave.

Garda Cathal Power told Judge Helen Boyle the woman was subjected to the offending behaviour from January 14th to 15th, 2023 at the home of Galvin.

Garda Power said when the woman raised the alarm she ran towards gardaí in a “very distressed state.” She subsequently made a formal statement to gardaí.

Garda Power said the woman believes the man very much meant his threat that he would throw her in a septic tank. He said Galvin also threatened to destroy the home of the parents of his ex.

Galvin hit the woman “two or three times with a closed fist in the ribs,” Garda Power said.

The court was told that Galvin had three previous convictions for assault causing harm and eight for criminal damage. He had 48 convictions in total.

Defence barrister Emmet Boyle BL said his client was without circuit court convictions. All of his previous convictions were at district court level.

He said Galvin had a prolonged history of poor mental health.

“He was residing in a remote rural farmhouse at the time that was barely fit for human habitation. He had challenges growing up. He has a lamentable history of mental health, including bi-polar disorder and suicidal attempts. He was admitted for hospital treatment arising out of related issues.”

Among the charges that Galvin pleaded guilty to included assault causing harm, making a threat to kill or cause serious harm, threatening to cause criminal damage to a car with a broom in addition to threatening to cause criminal damage to the home of the parents of his ex-girlfriend.

Judge Helen Boyle said that an aggravating factor in the case was that the man had an “an attitude of denial of domestic violence” and wasn’t a candidate for supervision by the probation service.

She said that a mitigating factor was that the man had entered a guilty plea, saving the woman the ordeal of giving evidence at a trial.

She jailed Galvin for two years, suspending the last six months of the sentence.