'I’m your boyfriend. I own you': Nephew of murdered Limerick crime boss Kieran Keane jailed for false imprisonment

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A NEPHEW of murdered crime boss Kieran Keane and convicted drug dealer Christy Keane has been jailed for beating his then partner’s head off the bathroom floor, rubbing a pitchfork over her body and attacking her with an axe in her home.

Limerick Criminal Circuit Court heard how David Keane, aged 32, of Island Road, Assumpta Park, Limerick city told the women: “I’m your boyfriend. I own you.”

Keane pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm in an apartment on the Dublin Road, Limerick city on April 8, 2021; and assaults at a stables in Blackwater, Ardnacrusha and at his home address on the same date of December on December 18, 2019.

The court also heard that Keane hit the woman’s face against a mirror and strangled her while on holiday in Benidorm, Spain on October 1, 2019. 

Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State solicitor Padraig Maw, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Detective Garda Michael Brennan.

Mr O’Sullivan said the victim and the accused had been engaged in an intimate relationship.

The prosecuting barrister said on the morning of April 8, 2021 the then couple were chatting and joking. At 12.15pm, the victim, who doesn’t wish to be named, received her payslip.

“The accused started giving out, complaining about the level of pay she was getting. She said it was none of his business. He said, ‘It is my business. I’m your boyfriend. I own you’. She said, ‘Nobody owns me’.

"She got up, went to the kitchen and made two cups of tea,” said Mr O’Sullivan, who went on to say that the victim poured the tea down the sink saying, “If you’re going to treat me like that, make your own tea”.

The woman went to the bedroom to get clothes. Mr O’Sullivan said Keane punched a wardrobe, causing shelves to fall down.

“He picked up a shelf and started hitting her with it to the head and legs. She fell to the floor. He pulled her hair,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The victim ran to the front door but Keane had locked it.

Mr O’Sullivan said the defendant started breaking up furniture and burning her clothes in the fireplace. The court heard that Keane ran at her with a small axe / hatchet. She ducked and the weapon hit the doorbell box. 

“She blacked out. The next thing she remembers is lying on the bed. He kept checking on her. He started cleaning the house. She had a lump on her face. She went to the bathroom and opened the window to scream for help. 

“She said, ‘He started killing me’. He was standing on her back beating her head off the floor. She said her bum was sore from him kicking her. She told the accused she needed to go to the doctor. She was screaming with the purpose of obtaining help. He said, ‘Wash the ware’ and if she did that he would take her to the doctor,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The barrister said that the victim managed to escape after pretending to wash the dishes.

“She ran out looking for assistance and hid near bins. She said he came out of nowhere, started hugging her and telling her, ‘Just come home with me’. She feared he was going to kill her. He started dragging her by the hair. She was sobbing,” said Mr O’Sullivan, who added that the alarm was raised by the caretaker who saw Keane and the victim.

Mr O’Sullivan said Keane walked away quickly back to the apartment.

The woman was taken to UHL by ambulance and admitted overnight for observation. Her injuries included a minor head injury and multiple soft tissue bruising. She has ongoing headaches, difficulty sleeping and suffers from anxiety.

Keane was later arrested by gardai and during interviews denied assaulting her, saying “She caused the injuries to herself”.

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Mr O’Sullivan said the first incident had taken place while they were on holiday in Benidorm, Spain on October 1, 2019.

“After a night out on the town they returned to the hotel they were staying in. He followed her into the bathroom and hit her face off a mirror. She tried to leave.

"He tripped her up and strangled her, putting his hands around her neck. She was in fear of her life. She thought she was going to be killed. She pretended to be dead. Eventually he put her out of the apartment,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The prosecuting barrister said two months later they remained together and were getting on well. On December 18, 2019, the victim found out Keane was texting another girl and had arranged to meet her.

“She decided to leave the accused. He was driving a car at the time. He drove towards a location in Blackwater, Ardnacrusha where he kept horses. He grabbed her by the hair and pushed her head down by the handbrake. She managed to escape from the car.

“He got a pitch fork and started rubbing it on her body in a threatening manner. She didn’t know if he was going to kill her. He locked her in a stable,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The court heard that he then dragged her by the hair to the car.

“He went to his home address and forced her into his bedroom. He locked the door and kicked and punched her. She managed to get out of the house,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The court heard Keane has a number of previous convictions including under the Control of Horses Act, unauthorised taking of a vehicle, sale or supply of drugs and breaching a safety order.

Mr O’Sullivan asked Detective Garda Michael Brennan if Keane has any history of gainful employment? “Not that I’m aware of,” said Det Garda Brennan.

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Mr O’Sullivan read out her victim impact statement in which she wrote: “As a direct result of the impact of this unprovoked, horrendous, violent and vicious attack, and false imprisonment I am not the person I was before it happened”.

She said she suffers from extreme PTSD and just recently began counselling for the second time. 

“I have practically become a recluse in my parents' house, sometimes spending weeks / months without any contact with the outside world. I am very often overwhelmed with feelings of shame attached to my attack, as in, could I have prevented it?”

She said she suffers from severe depression and never ending anxiety crippled her both emotionally and physically. 

“I now suffer from stress-related alopecia. I am constantly in fear that I may become a prisoner once again and have recurring nightmares during which I relive every single moment of the lifechanging experience.

"The physical scars might be healing but more occur as time goes on such as alopecia, night terrors and lack of appetite. Every day turns into a huge mental challenge.”

She said she has feelings that she is not worthy of being loved and trust has become a major barrier for her.

“I had thoughts of ending my life on three occasions but thankfully I realised I have a loving, caring family, who have been there for me through this horrible experience. They love me no matter what has happened.

“The old (victim’s name) was full of life, happy and smiling. It is more of a facade these days. One thought kept coming to me as I prepared this statement - did the defendant plead guilty for his own benefit?”

In mitigation, Andrew Sexton SC, defending, handed in letters from Keane’s doctor; Le Cheile charity, and a certificate which shows he is doing a course in literacy.

“He has pleaded guilty. He accepts the facts. They got back together again - there was a lot of toing and froing. It started out innocently, chatting away, he wasn’t lying in wait. It was a spontaneous combustion situation.

"At the end of it, he didn’t run away. He was in a very agitated state - that’s why gardai had to break into the apartment. He said there were many fights,” said Mr Sexton.

Counsel said Keane is an unusual individual.

“He comes from a family which has led to him having challenges. It is a tricky situation. I’m not going to go into it in open court. It is through no fault of his own.

“If he behaves himself and doesn’t fly off the handle he appears to be a decent person - he cares for his sister,” said Mr Sexton, whose instructions were that Keane was a good boyfriend at one stage but totally disgusting at the end.

Judge Colin Daly put the case back overnight to last Thursday to consider his verdict.

In giving sentence, the judge said Keane prevented the victim from leaving her home during a sustained assault for over two hours.

The judge spoke of the woman’s physical, psychological and emotional injuries. He said an aggravating factor is that Keane has a history of domestic violence with a previous for breaching a protection order.

Judge Daly took into account Keane’s guilty plea “albeit at a late stage”, his family challenges, intellectual functioning and history of caring for his sister.

The judge imposed a four-year prison sentence for false imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended. He imposed a concurrent 18 month sentence for the assault at Blackwater, Ardnacrusha and took the assault at Keane’s home into account.

Speaking to Limerick Live after the case, the victim said she was happy with the sentence.

Her mother said her daughter is happy that he was held accountable and that this will inform other women about Keane.  

“He is on record now as a domestic violence abuser. We’re very happy that it's over. Gender based violence has no place in society,” said the mother.

If you have been affected by this article please contact Adapt Domestic Abuse Service on 1800 200 504; Women’s Aid 1800 341 900 or Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.