Woman says ex-husband deserved tougher sentence for coercive control and assault in Dublin
A woman in her 30s said her ex-husband, a man in his 30s, deserved a tougher sentence after he admitted to coercive control and assault causing harm at their Dublin home, where he installed cameras that fed to his phone, told her to remain inside and not talk to anyone, denied her heating in winter, and grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. The couple had been arranged to marry in 2019, and the ex-husband received a 12-month sentence for coercive control and six months for assault to run concurrently, both suspended in full on strict conditions for two years. Separately, Andrew McNaughton, 51, was arrested on 26 August 2025 after the Dublin Crime Response Team found 38.5 kilogrammes of cannabis and two assault rifles in a van in a locked shed at his residence in Jordanstown, Oldtown, north Co Dublin, and was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis and having the drug for sale or supply. McNaughton was denied bail by Judge Patricia Cronin at Dublin District Court on 28 August 2025 and remanded in custody, with Circuit Court dates being set for 2027. The woman said her ex-husband 'destroyed' her life yet 'now he's free,' and Women's Aid called for an analysis of coercive control sentencing.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court28 Aug
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced29 Aug
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A woman in her 30s was subjected to coercive control at her Dublin home, including cameras that fed to her ex-husband's phone, being told to remain inside and not talk to anyone, being denied heating in winter, and having her arm grabbed and twisted behind her back.
- 38.5 kilogrammes of cannabis herb valued at about €772,000 and 70 grammes of suspected cocaine valued at €4,900 were found and seized in a Nissan Primastar van in a locked shed.
- When
- The woman was arranged to marry her ex-husband in 2019.
- Where
- The search took place at a residence in Jordanstown, Oldtown, north Co Dublin, and the coercive control took place at a home in Dublin.
- Weapon
- An AR-15 Colt M16A1 assault rifle with 22 rounds, a Heckler & Koch 416 assault rifle with 15 rounds, and a further 98 rounds of ammunition were discovered.
- Investigation
- The search was carried out by the Dublin Crime Response Team on a search warrant.
- Charges
- Andrew McNaughton, 51, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis and with having the drug for sale or supply.
- The ex-husband, a man in his 30s, admitted to coercive control and assault causing harm.
- In court
- McNaughton was denied bail by Judge Patricia Cronin at Dublin District Court and remanded in custody, with Circuit Court dates being set for 2027.
- Sentence
- The ex-husband received a 12-month sentence for coercive control and six months for assault to run concurrently, both suspended in full on strict conditions for two years.
- Other details
- A second man in his 30s arrested during the operation remains in Garda custody.
- The woman said her ex-husband 'destroyed' her life yet 'now he's free,' and Women's Aid called for an analysis of coercive control sentencing.
32 statements extracted from the articles
- what38.5 kilogrammes of cannabis herb valued at about €772,000 were found and seized. (irishtimes.com)
- what70 grammes of suspected cocaine valued at €4,900 were found and seized. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe woman was told to remain inside and was not allowed to talk to anyone. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back at their Dublin home. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe always said he is her boss. (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe was cold in winter months but not allowed to use the heating. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe drugs and guns were in a Nissan Primastar van parked in a locked shed on the property. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe search took place at a residence in Jordanstown, Oldtown, north Co Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- whenShe was arranged to marry him in 2019. (irishtimes.com)
- weaponAn AR-15, branded Colt M16A1, assault rifle with a magazine containing 22 rounds was discovered. (irishtimes.com)
- weaponA Heckler & Koch 416 assault rifle with a magazine containing 15 rounds of ammunition was discovered. (irishtimes.com)
- weaponA further 98 rounds of ammunition were found. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe search was carried out by the Dublin Crime Response Team on a search warrant. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeMcNaughton was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis and with having the drug for sale or supply. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe ex-husband admitted to coercive control and assault causing harm. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMcNaughton was denied bail by Judge Patricia Cronin at Dublin District Court. (irishtimes.com)
- courtCircuit Court dates for the case were being set for 2027. (irishtimes.com)
- courtLegal aid was granted and McNaughton was remanded in custody. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceHe received a 12-month sentence for coercive control. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceHe received six months for assault to run concurrently. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe sentences were suspended in full on strict conditions for two years. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí described McNaughton as an essential cog in an organised crime group. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMcNaughton was allegedly charging rent to a co-accused for €1,250 a month for the use of his shed. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí said McNaughton facilitated the movement, storage and transportation of the weapons. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMcNaughton had no prior convictions. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMcNaughton said he did not know about the weapons. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMcNaughton had been out of work for just over a year due to a back injury and did not claim social welfare. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA second man in his 30s arrested during the operation remains in Garda custody. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe woman is now in her 30s. (irishtimes.com)
- otherShe has been receiving support through counselling and from family members who now live in Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- otherCoercive control became a criminal offence in 2019. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe maximum sentence for coercive control is five years. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 29 Aug2025Woman says ex-husband deserved tougher sentence for coercive control and assault
Victim speaks out about the impact of the abuse and questions the adequacy of the fully suspended sentence; Women's Aid chief executive calls for analysis of coercive control sentencing.
victim, 30s, femaleconvicted, male - 28 Aug2025Man appears in court following discovery of drugs and armed forces weapons in shed
Bail hearing details including the specific drugs and weapons seized, the organised crime context, and the fact that McNaughton had not yet been charged in connection with the firearms.
accused, Andrew McNaughton, 51, male, named, irish (judged from name)Andrew McNaughtonsuspect, 30s, male