Man avoids jail after attacking partner in rage for affair with French horseman

A St Johnston pensioner has avoided jail after being convicted of assaulting his partner, who he caught having an affair with a man in France they had previously sold a horse to.

William Lapsley was handed a six-month suspended sentence when he appeared before Letterkenny District Court on Monday in connection with the incident in 2018.

After discovering that his then partner was still in contact with another man in France, Lapsley, now a 75-year-old, was said to have punched and kicked the woman. The court heard that he also hit her with a handle of a brush.

On September 2, 2018, Letterkenny Garda Station received a call from a man in France and said he had heard a lot of ’shouting a screaming’ while he was on a phone call to a woman. The man told gardai that he was concerned for the welfare of the woman.

Sergeant Gerard Dalton told the court that gardai attended the home of Lapsley at Altaskin, St Johnston and spoke to him in the backyard. Lapsley told gardai that he had an argument with his partner.

Garda Simon Morrison spoke to Ms Kelda Morgan and noticed a bruise on her left eye. Ms Morgan told the court that Lapsley heard her on the phone and punched her to the face, kicked her to the head and hit her with the handle of a brush.

Sergeant Dalton told the court that the pair were in a relationship and had sold a horse to a man in France. He said that it appeared that Ms Morgan went to France and had an affair with the person they sold the horse to.

When Ms Morgan made a phone call to a male in France, Lapsley heard the call.

Sergeant Dalton said Lapsley was arrested and ‘made some admissions’ regarding the assault.  Photos of Ms Morgan’s injuries were handed into the court.

Mr Donough Cleary, solicitor for Lapsley, said the complainant had told his client that a relationship with a third party was at an end, but this transpired not to be the case.

“There was a fight, or a scuffle, around the phone,” Mr Cleary said. “Essentially, Mr Lapsley wanted the phone to prove to himself that there was still contact.”

Mr Cleary told the court that the injured party in the case was not married to the ‘third party’ mentioned.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said that a probation report was not overall positive. “There are significant issues in terms of insight, acknowledgement and taking steps to improve the situation,” Judge Cunningham said.

Mr Cleary said: “He made a very frank statement almost immediately expressing regret. This wasn’t his finest hour and he is apologetic.” He said his client is 75 years old and this is his first charge for a violent act.

Mr Cleary said, in the context of his client having been told that the other relationship was over, that the reaction was ‘understandable’.

Judge Cunningham said that Lapsley’s reaction on the day was ‘not in any way understandable and not in any way acceptable’.

The Probation Service has placed Lapsley as being of a moderate risk of future domestic abuse behaviours and has been assessed as being unsuitable for the Men Overcoming Violent Emotions (MOVE) programme.

Judge Cunningham said: “The Court notes that he presented as being of a limited willingness to change and address abusive behaviours.”

Judge Cunningham said the Court found the incident to be a serious assault which was placed at the upper end of the District Court’s jurisdiction and warranted a custodial sentence.

Lapsley was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison. The entirety of the term was suspended for 12 months upon Lapsley entering into a bond.