A boyfriend was severely beaten by a man, forcing her to eat with a straw and have a metal plate put in her skull.

Jonathan Kingsbury, 41, violently attacked his partner in Cork in 2023, leaving her with a broken jaw, an eye, a broken nose, and two missing teeth.

A man who attacked his partner so violently that she had to eat and drink using a straw for months has been jailed.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Jonathan Kingsbury, 41, slammed his partner’s head against a counter and a wall in their home after returning from a night out on March 11, 2023. He has been sentenced to three years in jail.

Garda Aisling Brosnan said Kingsbury, who had been drinking in a pub in Cork, punched the woman in the face, “put his hands around her neck and threw heavy kitchen utensils at her.”. During the attack he also broke the victim’s phone.

The woman was hospitalised for three days and required surgery to have metal plates inserted into both sides of her broken jaw. Cork b Report. His eye bone was also broken, his nose was broken and two teeth were broken.

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Ms. Brosnan said the woman “ran out of the house and called neighbours, who contacted the gardaí.” Kingsbury, formerly of Connolly Road in Ballyfehen and most recently of Shull, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and criminal damage.

In a victim impact statement, the woman described suffering from anxiety and being reluctant to leave her home. She said, “Before going anywhere, I’ll have anxiety attacks. It’s terrible. I want to cry. I want to be sick; I start shaking. I start thinking too much about things.”

“When I go out, it’s just a rush to get the work done and get back home. I’m always afraid I might bump into him. When I sleep, sometimes I have a dream and maybe he’s in the dream, so I wake up and that’s it – I’m awake and lying in bed or walking up and down the kitchen with anxiety.

“Sometimes if I hear noises at night, I’m scared he’s at my door. I even got my locks changed because I didn’t know if he had keys. I was always flirtatious, but now I don’t go out.”

The victim said her jaw is still stiff and the metal plates make her anxious about travelling. “I’m going abroad in June and I’m scared of the machines and metal detectors at the airport; I’m scared that my jaw will destroy them,” she said.

“This is my first time going abroad after the attack. For several months after that, I was eating and drinking through a straw. I even lost two teeth because of the punches he gave me.”

Defence barrister Nikki O’Sullivan BL said her client wanted to apologise again and reassure the victim he would never come near her again. He said he was disgusted with himself for his actions and had been sober for the past 18 months.

Judge Helen Boyle said the attack had a serious psychological and physical impact on the victim.

The judge said, “After this she spent several months eating and drinking from straws. Her jaw still clenches very easily. She was afraid of meeting you, and her daughter was also very afraid of bumping into you.”

The fact that your partner suffered an attack in his own home is a grave concern. There was some element of not accepting that it was entirely your fault. It is very clear to everyone here that the blame for the brutal attack on you lies with you.”

Judge Boyle acknowledged that Kingsbury was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions and had spared the victim the trauma of having to give evidence at trial.

He also said Kingsbury is no longer using drugs or alcohol and is unlikely to pose a risk to the victim in the future. However, she warned that if he did it again, he could pose a threat to his intimate partner in the future.

The judge jailed Kingsbury for three years and nine months, suspending the final nine months for a two-year period. The one-year sentence for criminal damage will run concurrently. Upon release, Kingsbury must maintain good behaviour and engage with the probation and welfare service.