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Garda sentenced for 3 years for coercively controlling former partner

Garda sentenced for 3 years for coercively controlling former partner

The Garda who coercively controlled his former partner for over three years of their relationship has been jailed for three years and three months.

Yesterday, a Dublin court heard how Garda Paul Moody coercively controlled his ex-girlfriend to the point where she believed he was going to kill her.

The 42 year old Garda subjected her to three-and-a-half years of what was described as 'physical and emotional torture.'

In 2017, at the beginning of their relationship, she said things were great.

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She described him as the perfect gentleman; charming and very funny.

However, this fairytale start soon turned into a nightmare.

During the investigation, thousands and thousands of abusive texts, WhatsApp messages, videos, photos and voice notes were found on his phone.

80 percent of the communications were from him to her. On one date in July 2019, he bombarded her with 587 messages. She received one every 90 seconds for 14.5 hours.

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He also targeted her loved ones in an effort to isolate her.

In her victim impact statement, she said she often wondered how women ended up in violent and abusive relations but now knows they don’t have a choice. She said the abuser breaks you down and takes away all your power and strength.

However, she said she feels stronger now and hopes her story of survival will inspire others.

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