A woman whose former partner has been sentenced for rape and coercive control has said she decided she could not “let him get away with it”. 

On Friday, 27 year old Nathan Grant McNulty of Ballyogan Avenue, Carrickmines, Carrickmines in County Dublin was handed a  nine year sentence with the final 12 months suspended, having pleaded guilty. 

On Lunchtime Live, his victim, Sarah Ryan, said she was “still kind of a shock” and that it “still hasn’t sunk in properly” that the four year long legal ordeal was over. 

 “I feel like I can breathe properly now; I'm not kind of just waiting for this and the next court date and the next court date to come along,” she explained. 

“I kind of can move on now with everything and kind of start living my life again.” 

The pair met in 2018 and quickly decided to get into a relationship. 

However, it was not long after they met that McNulty revealed his true character. 

“About two weeks in, the control and stuff started and the manipulation,” Ms Ryan said. 

“I think he got into my head and kind of brainwashed me really quickly.

“And I was so young as well, so I didn't know what was right from wrong.” 

Within weeks, Ms Ryan found out she was pregnant and then she felt “really trapped”. 

“He had me in such fear, like he used to tell me that he would take my child away from me and I was kind of the only one raising him,” she recalled. 

“I never knew there was anything like Women's Aid or anything like that or protection orders or any help out there. 

“He threatened that he'd kill my family and I just thought, ‘Well, if he could do that to me, then he could do that to anybody.’”

Soon Ms Ryan began to fear what McNulty might do to their young son, Bobby. 

“He just had me under such fear and control that I just thought that that was my life and I had to just put up with it until maybe Bobby was 18 and I could leave then,” she said. 

“I was just in terror that he would take him and I'd never see him or he would hurt him.”

Every day, she felt ill at ease and nervous around him. 

“You were constantly walking on eggshells,” Ms Ryan added.  

“I was like a shell of myself.”

Escape

In the end, Ms Ryan decided to get help not long after he attacked her so badly she had bruises all over her face and needed to get X-Rayed. 

“Nathan knew that something was going on because he actually followed me to work that day,” she said. 

“I was texting my Mam saying, ‘Don't text me please’, because I really thought that he was going to kill me.

“So, I went into work and then he left.

“My Mam came into my job then and then we just went to Dolphin House and got an emergency protection order.”

It was there that Ms Ryan was put in touch with Women’s Aid, who she describes as “amazing” throughout. 

Justice

She also contacted An Garda Síochána to press charges against McNulty. 

In total, it took four years before he was sentenced. 

“He got the maximum for the coercive control,” Ms Ryan said. 

“Which is very hard - five years - and it kind of felt like a powerful moment.

“He done all that to me and he thought that he could get away with it. 

“Whereas I'm obviously much stronger than that and didn't let that happen. 

“I didn't let him get away with it.”

Victims of sexual violence have the right to lifelong anonymity if they wish. 

However, Ms Ryan decided to waive hers in order to spread awareness about the supports that are available to help those in need. 

If any of these issues discussed impacted you, you can reach Women’s Aid 24 hours a day on 1800 341 900.

Main image: Sarah Ryan.