Jail for man who held estranged wife captive accusing her of affair with his friend
A man who threatened to break his estranged wife’s teeth during a four-hour standoff with Gardaí has today been jailed for two years.
The judge heard William Harton, formerly of Killinarden Estate, Tallaght in Dublin held her captive after bursting into her home almost a year ago.
After William Harton kicked in the front door of Amy Harton’s south Dublin home on the morning of February 16 last year, his estranged wife said she managed to run past him into the garden but was dragged back inside where he showed her a gun and demanded the pin to her phone after accusing her of being in a relationship with a friend.
He then took out a knuckle duster and threatened to knock her teeth out.
Armed Gardaí and a negotiator arrived at the scene and he let her go two hours later, but only after she gave him the pin.
The situation ended without incident just before 3.30pm that afternoon. The gun was later found to be a fake.
Mr Harton’s barrister said his client’s life went into a downward spiral following the tragic death of his sister Diana, who died when her car was hit by another car that was being chased by gardaí along the M7 in 2014.
Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to two years in prison.
