BEAST CAGED

Thug gets 7 years in jail over 4hr 'reign of terror' on his ex. Donegan changed name to hide previous crimes against women

- GORDON DEEGAN

A MAN who held a knife to his ex partner's throat while threatening to butcher her in a "reign of terror" has been jailed for more than seven years.

Ennis Circuit Court heard how Dubliner Scott Donegan, 38, who had a history of violence against women, had changed his identity when moving to West Clare before "terrorising" his fourth female victim.

The Co Clare woman told the court that Donegan "is a danger to society and he has scarred and damaged me for life".

The woman said that Donegan imposed "a reign of terror" on her during the four-hour ordeal on November 9 last year.

She added: "I believed that I would be killed by him and never see my children or family again."

In her victim impact statement, the woman told the court that Donegan legally changed his name "to avoid his past being made apparent where he was convicted of assault on three previous partners the last of whom was left with a brain injury".

Det Garda Donal Corkery said that the woman in the most recent case had been unaware of Donegan's past and commenced a relationship with him.

However, Det Corkery stated the woman ended the relationship after seeing another side to Donegan "and after learning some bits about his past and his criminal history".

Det Corkery said that Donegan couldn't accept the relationship was over and last year continued to bombard the woman with messages from various social media platforms.

He blackmailed her saying if she didn't meet him he would tell the woman's former partner that she had an affair with someone else towards the end of their relationship.

Det Corkery stated that the woman felt she had no choice but to go and meet him at Donegan's home on November 9 where he took a mobile phone from her and forced her to sit in a chair "where she was frozen out of fear due to the aggressive behaviour of Mr Donegan".