The court heard she was she was kicked and punched in the stomach during the incident.
A truck driver has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for a violent assault on his pregnant partner during which she was kicked and punched in the stomach and threatened with a blade.
Gintautas Macivilskas (38), a Lithuanian national with an address at Millmount Road, Mullingar, Co Westmeath pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to his partner, Lina Celiesiene, at her home at Ashfield, Mullingar on December 12, 2018.
A sitting of Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday heard Ms Celiesiene (32) was 24 weeks pregnant at the time of the offence with the accused’s child.
Garda Claire Taaffe said gardaí had been called by a friend of Ms Celiesiene who was worried when she had not arrived at her place after saying she was leaving her own home.
Garda Taaffe said Maciviliskas was discovered with a four-inch blade standing over his distraught victim who was on all fours after they had forced their way into the sitting room which had been blocked off.
Ms Celiesiene’s two-year-old daughter from a previous relationship was also present in the room.
The court heard Maciviliskas has also threatened to kill his partner, her young daughter and her unborn child.
Garda Taaffe said the accused was intoxicated when arrested and did not understand what had happened.
She said the victim had told gardaí that she was first attacked in her bedroom when she was getting her clothes to leave her home.
Garda Taaffe said Ms Celiesiene recounted how the accused had placed his hands around her neck before punching her in the face for what “felt like ten minutes” as well as punching and kicking her all over her body.
The court heard Maciviliskas was holding a knife and threatening his victim that her baby would die.
Garda Taaffe said Maciviliskas had ordered his victim to go on her knees and was getting her to beg for forgiveness.
Ms Celiesiene claimed he had placed the knife on her hand and was going to try and cut her fingers off.
Garda Taaffe said gardaí arrived on the scene just as he had placed the knife to Ms Celiesiene’s throat.
While the victim claimed she had suffered stomach pains as a result of the incident, the court heard that she subsequently gave birth to a healthy baby in Lithuania.
Counsel for Maciviliskas, Arthur Griffin, BL said the accused remained in a relationship with Ms Celiesiene and felt shameful about his behaviour and regretted his actions.
Mr Griffin said Maciviliskas had got carried away during a family argument and was fully apologetic for what happened.
Sentencing Maciviliskas to two and a half years in prison, Judge Keenan Johnson said the accused had committed a horrific offence while on a drunken spree with vodka.
The judge described the accused’s actions as “an extremely serious case of domestic abuse”.
He said Maciviliskas had engaged in gratuitous violence by kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach in front of a young child, while also threatening the life of his unborn child.
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