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26 Mar 2026

County Derry man who threatened to kill partner and five-year-old daughter jailed

Ryan Connelly, 35, whose address was given as Maghaberry Prison, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill his partner and their daughter, guilty to assaulting his partner and guilty to causing criminal damage to her property

Man returned for trial to Derry Crown Court on 28 charges

Derry Crown Court

Reporter:

Court Reporter

10 Apr 2025 4:30 PM

Email:

news@derrynow.com

A man who threatened to kill his partner and their five-year-old daughter with a kitchen knife in their home in Maghera, Co. Derry, on June 3 of last year, has been jailed for two years at Derry Crown Court.
Ryan Connelly, 35, whose address was given as Maghaberry Prison, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill his partner and their daughter, guilty to assaulting his partner and guilty to causing criminal damage to her property.
Judge Neil Rafferty KC said the case dealt with "the scourge of domestic violence in Northern Ireland". 
As well as jailing Connelly for two years the judge also put in place a five year restraining order banning Connelly from any contact with his ex-partner after his prison release. 
He said if Connelly wished to have any contact with his daughter following his prison release any contact would have to be approved by social services.
Judge Rafferty said he also wanted to draw the case to the attention of members of the PSNI's Public Protection Unit.
In her Victim Personal Statement the defendant's ex-partner wrote that in the immediate aftermath of the incident she tried to take her own life and that she still suffers from significant mental health issues because of the incident.
"I had a mental health breakdown because of the pressures placed on me and my daughter who is now in care. I am still petrified of him. The fear is always there and it will be heightened when he is released", she wrote.
A prosecutor told the court that on June 3, 2024 Connelly arrived at his then partner's Maghera home drunk. She asked him to leave and when he refused she went to 'phone the police. The defendant then grabbed a large kitchen knife and said he was going to cause a siege situation by keeping her as a hostage.
When the police arrived Connelly was armed with the knife and deliberately cut his hand before stabbing a wall and repeating threats that he was going to kill his then partner,  their daughter and himself.
Connelly, who has been assessed as a high likelihood re-offender, was told by Judge Rafferty that following his prison release he will then be under statutory supervision for 12 months.

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