A man who violently attacked a woman in her own home in north Dublin, leaving her with a fractured eye socket and three missing teeth, has been imprisoned for a year.

John Ndungu (42), of Boyne View, Johnstown, Co Meath, appeared before Judge Martina Baxter in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday having pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a woman in her home in Balbriggan on June 21st, 2020.

Garda Keith Coleman said that at approximately 7.30pm on the night in question, he was on mobile patrol with a colleague when he was called to the woman’s address.

The court heard that Ndungu had called the woman the day before and told her he was outside her house. The woman thought he sounded drunk over the phone and did not want him to drive home, so let him stay the night.

The following morning, Ndungu began drinking whiskey from 10am.

The woman and Ndungu left to buy groceries, returning at about 2.30pm when they started drinking together

.Gda Coleman told the court there were phone calls made by the injured party to family members that evening. Following one of these calls, a verbal altercation began between her and Ndungu.

The woman told gardaí that at this stage, Ndungu was very drunk. She asked him to leave, but he refused and a shouting match began.

Ndungu then grabbed her in a chokehold, pulled her onto the couch and punched her four times with a closed fist.

The court heard that when she saw blood on the couch, the woman knew she had to defend herself. She elbowed Ndungu in the genital area and tried unsuccessfully to get her phone.

The woman began to throw items at Ndungu, and he grabbed her in a chokehold again, punching her twice more.

The injured party saw one of her teeth fall out, the court heard.

The woman called for help and managed to escape Ndungu’s grasp.

When she reached the hallway, she picked up a phone and informed Ndungu she was calling the gardaí and he left

A scan revealed she had lost two teeth and fractured both her eye socket and cheekbone.

Subsequent dental treatment resulted in the loss of a third tooth, which was loose following the attack.

The cost of treatment for her injuries totalled approximately €4,000, the court heard.

Ngundu was arrested by gardaí on June 29th, 2020, and during interview, he denied attacking the woman and said he was horrified to hear what had happened.

He initially gave a different version of what had happened, but this account was proven to be false.

pleaded guilty to the charges on his trial date last May.