‘Sonia is living a life sentence. We all are’

Family of young mum left brain damaged following a vicious assault at the hands of her former fiance have spoken about how they hope to move forward from this ‘nightmare’ and how they vow to never let Lance Dempsey near Sonia's son

The family of a young mother left brain damaged following a vicious and unprovoked attack, have expressed their disappointment at the sentence handed down to her former fiance, saying they are all living a life sentence.

Lance Dempsey (28) received an 11-year sentence at Cavan Circuit Court last week a violent attack on mum of two, Sonia Lee, which was captured on CCTV.

Dempsey, who is originally from Navan, kicked and stamped on her head 17 times and punched her twice, leaving her bloodied and unconscious during a night out on March 16, 2018.

The attack on Ms Lee, and subsequent details of the horrific beating as relayed later to court, sent shockwaves and caused revulsion across the country.

It was only while Ms Lee was fighting for life in hospital, having suffered broken bones in her face and bleeding on the brain, it was discovered she was 15 weeks pregnant with Dempsey's child.

Dempsey (29), who shared a home with Ms Lee at Aughnaskerry Drive in Cavan Town, had a child already through a former relationship. Much was made of this in the case for mitigation presented to presiding Judge John Aylmer.

It leaned heavily on the hopes Dempsey harbours of one day striking up a relationship with this estranged child.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, the Lee family now hope to move forward from what has been a “nightmare” two years.

They are aware Dempsey could also later apply for access to Sonia's young son.

But Sonia's sister Aisling is adamant there is “zero chance” that will happen. “Never! We won't let that happen. He'll never get near our family again,” Aisling sternly adds.

The Lee family feel the sentence handed to Dempsey wasn't long enough, particularly given the life-lasting damage imposed on Sonia by him.

“It'll never do Sonia any good,” surmises Aisling after sentencing last Friday, June 17. “It won't change the hurt he put on her, what he's put on all of us as a family. Lance got 11 years, Sonia is living a life sentence. We all are.” With the last 18 months of his suspended, time already served and a discount for good behaviour, Demspey could back out on the streets in as little as five years from now. For Aisling, seeing Dempsey sitting seeming care-free just metres from her at Cavan court was “one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. I hated being in the same room as him. I hate the very sight of him.”

The several times the Lee family attended thinking sentencing was taking place, only then to see matters twice pushed out to a later date, compounded their anxiety.

"This time we weren't 100 per cent sure he was going to be sentenced,” said Aisling, “... and not even until we got a call that day.” Sonia never attended a court sitting, however she was fully aware proceedings involving her ex-partner were taking place. “We couldn't put her through all that. We don't lie to her, she's a grown woman and deserves that much,” says Aisling.

Sonia, who attends a rehabilitation centre every day, did though tell Aisling “it's good enough for him, he deserves everything he gets” after learning of the 11-year sentence handed down. But despite it all Aisling says life continues to be like “a nightmare there's no getting out of".

While Sonia is now “okay”, she will require assistance in day-to-day living for the rest of her life, as well as constant supervision in caring for her young son.

What Dempsey took from Sonia, he also took from Aisling, the Lee family, and others too who have been left to pick up the pieces. Sonia's other son, the elder of the two, now resides with his father. He told the court by way of victim impact statement of the difficulty faced by the boy in understanding “why this has happened to his mum".

Looking back, Aisling says she wishes she saw it sooner - Dempsey's coercive controlling behaviour around her sister, not to mention his “bully” demeanour. Evidence to the court in the lead up to the attack heard how a drunken Dempsey had taken €30 from his fiancée's handbag without asking.

Ms Lee had already given him €90 before the couple had gone out that night. The couple were then seen arguing on the street moments before Dempsey pulled Sonia into the Chilli Lounge doorway and subjected her to a savage assault the judge later described as “hard” to watch when viewed back on CCTV.

Aisling believes Dempsey's abusive behaviour towards Aisling went on much longer than that one fateful evening, and she is now encouraging others suffering domestic violence to speak out and bravely seek help.

“Myself and Sonia were best of friends. Every single day before Lance arrived we'd be on the phone, chatting some way, or calling around. Then Lance arrived into her life and, before long, I wasn't even getting a call from her. But that was all him, controlling. Lance is a bully.”

If Dempsey is to learn one lesson during his time incarcerated in Dublin's Cloverhill prison, Aisling hopes: “it's that he keeps his hands to himself, and never does anything like this to another human being. I wish he never came into our lives, I hope he knows that.”