A man from County Kerry, Ireland, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for a prolonged history of abuse against his wife, which included physical violence and coercive control over two decades. The Central Criminal Court in Cork heard that the man lashed his wife with a livestock whip while she was cradling their infant and subjected her to relentless verbal abuse, including threats to burn her alive. The victim, in her forties, described the abuse as 'relentless and torturous,' stating that she was constantly belittled and isolated from friends and family. She revealed that her husband’s controlling behavior led her to contemplate suicide, but ultimately, it was her children who gave her the strength to leave the relationship in September 2020, marking the end of the abuse. The defendant, who has previous convictions, expressed remorse and enrolled in a program aimed at addressing violent behavior. The judge imposed a sentence of two and a half years, reducing it to 18 months due to his guilty plea and remorse, while also mandating that he comply with probation requirements.