Kildare man jailed for assault of ex partner and threats to burn home 

A MAN who assaulted his ex-partner and made threats to kill her and burn the property of his 84-year-old landlord has been sentenced to three years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended.

Kenneth Wilson (57) with an address at Carna, Suncroft pleaded guilty to including assault causing harm, making a threat to kill and cause criminal damage.

Prosecuting barrister, Daniel Boland BL explained that on 15 January 2026, Mr Wilson’s ex-partner, Maeve McCormack and their child approached him in Suncroft and offered him €50, before heading to the accused’s house to pick up their daughter’s tablet.

Once at Mr Wilson’s house, Ms McCormack got a bad feeling, said Mr Boland, and decided to leave.

However, Mr Wilson said that she could leave, but that their 5-year-old child couldn’t.

The court heard that when Ms McCormack attempted to flee, Mr Wilson said: “I’ll chop off your f**king head”, before punching her in the face which caused a bump on her lip.

Ms McCormack and her child ran to Mr Wilson’s landlord’s house and locked herself in the bathroom.

Mr Wilson, intoxicated by alcohol, arrived to at the landlord’s house and told him that he would burn down his house.

When gardaí arrived, Mr Wilson was at his own house, smelled of alcohol, and was not fit for questioning.

During garda questioning, Mr Wilson claimed that his ex-partner got physical with him, and said she gets angry when drinking.

“She flipped out and walked up the lane saying, ‘f**k you’” he said, before admitting: “I wasn’t drunk, but I was fairly well on.” Mr Wilson also told gardaí that Ms McCormack had “her lip stuck out” in the photo taken of her injury in an attempt to “frame” him, and assured gardaí that he did not assault her.

Ms McCormack’s victim impact statement was read out in court, where she described a decline in her mental health since the assault, and how she had received phone calls threatening her if she showed up to court on the matter.

She called it a “very dark time” in her life and explained that she is constantly looking over her shoulder since the incident.

“All I ask for is a peaceful life for me and my children,” she said.

The court heard that the man has 31 previous convictions, which include counts of robbery, threats to cause serious harm, threats to kill, and possession of a firearm.

Defence counsel, Sarah Connoly BL, explained to Judge Duffy that while the man has a number of previous convictions, he was last convicted in 2015, and had not come to garda attention up until the assault.

She also offered that he was highly intoxicated at the time of the incident and noted his early guilty plea.

Ms Connolly said that Mr Wilson is “deeply ashamed” for what he has done, even if it has not come across that way, and explained that he has been getting on well in prison system with no P19s (disciplinary sanctions).

“At age 57, prison is not the place for him,” she said. “He is extremely sorry and just wants to be a good father.” In her deliberation, Judge Elva Duffy took all mitigating and aggravating factors into consideration, before deciding to sentence Mr Wilson to three years with the final 18 months suspended, provided he keep the peace for 2 years and engage with probation services for a period of 12 months.

The sentence was backdated from the 15 January, when he first went into custody.

It was also decided that Mr Wilson is to have no contact with Ms McCormack or his elderly landlord for a period of two years, unless instigated by the complainant.