Man accused of attempt to strangle woman

A man in his early 40s is to stand trial accused of attempting to strangle and suffocate a woman at a residential address in Mullingar last October.

The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his alleged victim, appeared at Mullingar District Court last Thursday.

Sgt Orla Keenan, for the state, outlined how the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented for the man to be sent forward for trial to the next sittings of Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, which is this week.

That direction, the court heard, had stemmed from an alleged incident on October 11, 2024, where the man allegedly did “strangulate and suffocate” the woman contrary to section 3A of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

Two further charges, one of which also contained a threat to kill or cause serious harm during the same alleged incident, were presented to the accused when the book was served on him before Judge Bernadette Owens.

Garda Enda Reddan, for the state, gave evidence of having executed that function shortly before 3pm.

Judge Owens questioned why a separate theft charge relating to a bottle of Limoncello from Lidl, Dublin Road, Mullingar the day prior to the other alleged offences was attached to the indictment. Sgt Orla Keenan said it was because of directions from the DPP office.

Judge Owens gave the accused what’s known as the ‘alibi warning’, a legal term in which she told him he was obligated to inform the state within 14 days if he wished to rely on any alibi evidence during the course of his trial.

The man, who initially appeared before the same court last November, was told he was being sent forward under the bail terms he is currently under.

Defence solicitor Louis Kiernan applied for legal aid and for a junior counsel.

Judge Owens remanded the man on his own bond of €200 to appear before Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on March 4.