PLYMOUTH MAN JAILED FOR VIOLENT ABUSE AND DANGEROUS DRIVING
An attention-seeking boyfriend accused of a series of violent and erratic behaviors in Torquay has been described as acting 'like an oversized toddler'.Sean Gonnelly, aged 21, was involved in repeated incidents including drunk assaults on his partner, criminal damage, dangerous driving, and threatening behavior.
Court proceedings revealed he moved into his girlfriend's house in January of the previous year, and by May, police had been called following Gonnelly getting drunk, spatting in her face, and pouring a pitcher of drink over her at their residence.
He also took her car without permission, crashed it attempting a dangerous overtaking move outside the Paignton Court Hotel, and fled the scene but was later tracked and arrested with the help of CCTV and sniffer dogs.
When his partner returned home, the house was trashed with chairs broken and ornaments thrown.
Despite rekindling the relationship, Gonnelly continued to act violently, grabbing his partner by the throat, throwing her onto the sofa, and attacking her during a night out where he was intoxicated and under the influence of ketamine.
A final violent episode caught on CCTV involved Gonnelly punching his partner in the face outside the Olde Well House and damaging a window of the building.
The court heard that Gonnelly's behavior was 'despicable', with the judge describing his actions 'like listening to the deeds of an oversized toddler' and criticizing his honesty regarding his memory of the events.
As a result, he was sentenced to two years in prison for multiple offenses including battery, criminal damage, and dangerous driving.
He was also issued a five-year restraining order not to contact his partner and banned from driving for two years.
The defendant, who resides on Stoke Road in Plymouth, was also characterized by the judge as controlling, manipulative, and aggressive, with his behavior making his partner's life miserable.
The judge emphasized the severity of his conduct and the impact it had on his victim, noting her loss of employment and her need to move out due to his actions.
