A woman who tore her ex-boyfriend's scrotum during an attack and left one of his testicles hanging out escaped a term in prison after admitting assault yesterday.

Lisa Moran (42) of O'Dev-aney Gardens on the North Circular Road, Dublin, attacked Eamon Desmond on June 5, 2007 at his home at Annamoe Drive, Dublin 7.

There was a gasp from the public gallery in the Circuit Criminal court as details of Mr Desmond's injuries, which included "an exposed left testicle", were read out by prosecution counsel Colm O'Briain.

Mr Desmond, who was in a relationship with Moran at the time of the offence, was asleep in bed when Moran kicked in a glass panel of his front door after hearing rumours that he had made disparaging comments about her daughter.

He appealed to Moran, who was threatening to "smash the whole house down", to go home but he let her in after a few minutes because he believed her to have "calmed down".

However, as he opened the door she "launched" herself upon him and knocked him to the floor and began kicking, scratching and slapping him.

Mr Desmond, who Mr O'Briain said "at no point retaliated", restrained her by "straddling" her on the floor and holding her two arms down.

After a few minutes, Moran again appeared calm and promised to stop attacking Mr Desmond, who then let go of her arms.

She immediately began "slapping and scratching" him again, by now "frothing at the mouth".

He rang the gardai but as he dialled he "felt a sharp pain in his scrotum area", Garda Brian McCann told the court.

Gda McCann said that when he arrived at the scene, Mr Desmond showed him his injuries which included a lacerated scrotum that left his "left testicle extruding".

Defence counsel Cormac Quinn said that his client had "no intention to cause serious injury" to Mr Desmond and said it was accepted that the injury was caused by Moran's belt buckle.

The court heard that Moran had lost her job as a court cleaner due to the offence.

Gda McCann agreed that the victim had made a good recovery and was left with only a small scar.

Mr Desmond was "happy to put the incident behind him" and had no wish for compensation.

Judge Nolan said Moran was guilty of the charge of reckless assault causing harm to Mr Desmond but accepted the injury wasn't intentional.

He sentenced her to 18 months' imprisonment, suspended for a year.

Belfast Telegraph