A MAN jailed last month for “barbaric” assaults on his ex-girlfriend, and for having a sub machine gun, has avoided additional jail time despite breaching the terms of an earlier suspended sentence for firearms offences.
Last month, Willie Woodland (31), of Shanabooley Road, Limerick, was jailed for 13 years with the final 18 months suspended after he pleaded guilty to two savage attacks on his ex-girlfriend; keeping a loaded machine gun at his home; possessing drugs for sale or supply; money laundering; and possessing almost €10,000 worth of stolen goods.
Mr Woodland committed these offences while in breach of a sentence of six years with the final 18 months suspended, which he received on November 29, 2018, for a firearms offence.
In May 2021, while on bail on the suspended sentence, Woodland was arrested by Gardaí in a car park in County Clare in possession of the stolen goods that were robbed by other criminals from homes in County Limerick.
While on bail again, Woodland carried out two vicious jealous fueled assaults on his ex-girlfriend in June and September 2023, after their relationship had ended.
Judge Colin Daly, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, described the attacks as “sadistic” and “barbaric”.
In one of the attacks, Woodland burgled the woman’s home armed with a knife and bit her on her face neck and back.
Woodland also sent the woman a video of himself throwing her late grandmother’s ashes into a fire.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said Woodland also threatened to shoot her and members of her family.
She was forced to flee her residence to a woman’s shelter to try to avoid Woodland.
While on bail, Gardaí found Woodland in possession of a loaded sub-machine gun and 18 rounds of munition for the firearm, when they raided his house on September 3 2024.
Gardaí also found €6,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis and €1,000 cash the proceeds of crime in the house.
Woodland identified himself to arresting Gardaí in a Snapchat video he made of himself posing with the gun and pulling the gun’s trigger while it was not loaded.
Woodland reappeared before Judge Daly after his offending triggered a “Section 99 re-entry” in respect of him offending while in breach of the suspended sentence he received for the 2018 firearms offence.
Woodland’s barrister, Joseph McMahon BL, asked Judge Daly “not to revoke the Section 99 order”.
Mr McMahon argued that an activation of the suspended 18 months jail time on his client would “make it an oppressive sentence on Mr Woodland”.
“It would be unjust on Mr Woodland,” Mr McMahon argued.
Judge Daly said: “Ordinarily I would be inclined to revoke the suspended sentence, however I will decline to revoke it. He will be serving a lengthy sentence anyway.”