A man who beat and choked his girlfriend has avoided jail after the woman begged the court to let him “be free with me”.
She told the court that unless her boyfriend was left free she would feel her life was being ‘judged’.
Jordy Bakeba, 20, who came to Ireland as a refugee five years ago, had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to his girlfriend and damaging her computer, which was broken in half during the incident. The Dublin District Court heard that gardaí arrived at the scene after receiving a call to find the woman was “screaming for help”.
The woman told gardaí her boyfriend first hit her with a laptop, and then slapped her numerous times and choked her. Two other witnesses said they saw the accused on top of the woman, choking her.
Bakeba, 20, with an address at Woodland Avenue, Mosney, Co. Meath, had claimed to gardaí that his girlfriend’s injuries were ‘self-inflicted and caused by accidents’.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed that the case should remain in the district court if the accused pleaded guilty – otherwise it would be heard in the circuit court which has wider sentencing powers.
However, Bakeba’s girlfriend came to the court and told Judge Bryan Smyth that she had emailed the DPP because she didn’t want anything to happen to her boyfriend. The court also heard the woman would not permit gardaí to obtain a copy of her medical report.
She claimed that they were both drunk at the time of the alleged assault. She then begged the court not to jail her boyfriend.
“Let him be free with me; you are not only judging him but judging me as well, judging my life.” she said.
Bakeba’s barrister asked the judge to note that the court had heard from the injured party, and that the accused had pleaded guilty. The court heard Bakeba had seven prior convictions for motoring offences. J
Judge Smyth handed down a nine-month sentence but suspended it on the condition the Bakeba kept the peace and did not re-offend for two years.