A Galway man was sentenced to a total of 19 months in jail and disqualified from driving for seven years for the assault of his ex-girlfriend, burglary, tresspass, and numerous charges of car theft.
Mathew Goldbey (21 ) with an address at 28 Gaelcarrig Park, Newcastle, was brought before Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court on Monday charged with a plethora of offences.
The court had heard that on August 16 this year gardai received a report of a male chasing another down Ballybane Road. The defendant, who was in an intoxicated state, was so abusive that gardai found it neccessary to restrain him. Suddenly a woman jumped out from behind some bushes and got into the back of the garda car. She alleged that the defendant had assaulted her numerous times. The court heard that Goldbey had gone looking for his then girlfriend and that she had bruises to her face and marks to her arms and wrists which she had received that night at a house they were staying at in Rahylin Glebe, Ballybane.
Garda Thomas Doyle gave evidence that on September 10, 2010, on the Headford Road he was on his way to work and was stuck in slow moving traffic when he noticed a blue Ford Fiesta coming in the opposite direction and saw that Goldbey was driving it. He later enquired about the vehicle and found that it had been reported stolen. Garda Doyle called to Goldbey’s home and spoke to his grandparents. The defendant later came to the station where he was arrested and detained. While being interviewed Goldbey admitted to committing burglary on September 8 when he had taken a compact laptop, cash, a camera, a gold chain, car keys, and vodka, with a total value of €800. On the morning of September 9, Goldbey used the keys he had taken to steal the car but later that morning he left it back but held onto the key. On September 10, the car was stolen again despite the owner locking the gates.
Garda Conor Barrett said that on October 1 at 3.10am there was a call to go to a house in Gort na Bro, where Goldbey’s ex-girlfriend’s relatives were living. They complained that Goldbey had been on the property and that they didn’t want him there. The defendant was found sitting in a car at the property, he refused to leave, and became aggressive.
Goldbey’s solicitor, Noel Rattigan, said that his client had co-operated with gardai and volunteered information. He added that Goldbey had completed a sentence this year and has had behavioural problems since childhood which were never dealt with adequately
“He is someone who slipped through the cracks,” said Mr Rattigan, who added that Goldbey had developed a drug habit while in prison and that he had had a volatile relationship with his girlfriend at the time.
The court then heard that Goldbey has nine previous convictions which include a five month sentence suspended for two years imposed in March of this year for assault.
“The charges are serious and very numerous,” said Judge Mary Fahy, who imposed a total of 19 months in prison, a seven-year disqualification from driving, and a fine of €200 payable forthwith. The sentence was backdated to October 1 and leave to appeal was granted.
