'Pick a finger or a toe': Man back in custody over 'disgusting' attacks on ex-girlfriends

Tom Tuite

A man who carried out "disgusting, disturbing and obnoxious" attacks on two ex-girlfriends has been remanded in custody after breaking a suspended sentence.

Ben Curry (25) beat and threatened a former partner at knifepoint "to pick a finger or a toe" and subjected another ex-girlfriend to a vicious 40-minute beating in public when she tried to end their brief relationship.

In April last year, Judge Keenan Johnson imposed consecutive sentences totalling seven years, backdated to 2023, when Curry went into custody, with the remaining term of four years and nine months suspended for five years.

The case was re-entered before Judge Johnson at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday after he failed to engage with the Probation Service and continue treatment with a forensic psychologist.

Garda Sergeant Sandra Keane told Judge Johnson that charges are pending against the accused for an alleged aggressive public order incident in Galway.

Curry missed several appointments with his probation officer, who said he was at high risk of reoffending. However, the officer also conceded to defence counsel Andrea Callan that Curry had complied with two of his conditions. He had found stable accommodation and a job after moving to Inishmore, in the Aran Islands.

Judge Johnson stated that he was not impressed with the development that had happened in the past week.

Curry explained that he became homeless at the end of last year, which affected his ability to comply with his probation officer or meet with his psychologist.

He said he later linked up with an agency that helps house people and pleaded not to be returned to prison.

He owned up to having been using alcohol, which was another breach of the suspended sentence.

Judge Johnson deferred ruling on whether it will be activated pending enquiries into his accommodation and employment.

He told Curry that the court had gone to great efforts to give him a chance of rehabilitation, but he had "thrown it back in its face". The case is due to resume later this week.

His sentence hearing last year was told that he consistently and positively engaged with the psychologist, whose report gave a graphic account of his "horrific" and traumatic childhood difficulties.

It detailed the work he had done to regulate his emotional responses and avoid trouble.

He had pleaded guilty earlier to assault causing harm and threatening to kill his first female victim at Gate Lodge Apartments, Willow Park, Athlone, Co Westmeath, on New Year's Day 2023.

Curry held a knife to her face and said he would "cut off her finger to stop her texting boys".

He also admitted to attacking and robbing the second young woman on May 22 2023, at the rear of Athlone Town Shopping Centre.

Earlier, Judge Johnson described the incidents as disgusting, disturbing and obnoxious with a level of violence that was concerning.

Curry got on well while on remand in custody and attended music classes, which helped calm him, the court has also heard.

Curry was couch surfing at the time of the second attack on the young woman, who was in student accommodation and had taken him in.

She was in the shower while he looked at her phone and allegedly saw that she had been texting an ex-boyfriend.

Curry ordered her out of the shower, punched a hole in the wall and caused €1,500 worth of damage. Curry "slapped her in the face, put his arm around her and lifted her off the floor".

He dropped her onto a bed and punched and slapped her in the face.

He then left, but returned holding a kitchen knife, and told her, "Pick a finger or a toe", and at this stage, she was screaming.

"He held the blunt side of the knife to her face and said he would cut off her finger to stop her texting boys," the court heard.

When he calmed down, she managed to get out of the apartment and rang her mother from a local shop. Photos of the injuries Curry inflicted were shown to the court.

During the previous attack, Curry, who was on bail at the time, met the other young woman after she had already tried to tell him via Snapchat that she did not want to see him again.

Over 40 minutes, Curry pushed her onto the ground, head-butted, punched and kneed her in the face, and took her €900 iPhone.

She was bleeding because "her piercings had been pulled from her ear", and she suffered swelling.

That victim outlined to the court how she is in "constant fear", has trust issues and "hated the way she looked after the assault".

Curry, who also had a prior address in Co Carlow, also admitted involvement in three violent disorder incidents in Longford and Athlone on other dates.

He had six prior convictions for drug possession, carrying a knife, trespassing, threat to kill or cause serious harm and production of an article in a dispute, and had already received a two-year sentence.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Women’s Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Men’s Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information. 

Safe Ireland also offers a number of local services and helplines at safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.