‘My baby girl never had a chance’ – woman beaten by ex in brutal attack that caused her to lose unborn baby says life will never be the same

The Central Criminal Court heard that Paget accepts he intentionally ended the life of a foetus, and also that he falsely imprisoned and threatened to kill his ex-partner.

In a victim-impact statement read to the court today, Ms Ward said Paget will have to live with what he did to her and her little girl.

"I want him to pay for everything he has done. There's no going back for him – he knew what he was doing.”

Paget (34) had to be excused from the court as graphic CCTV footage was shown of the "heinous violence" he carried out, which resulted in Ms Ward losing their baby.

Prosecuting counsel Shane Costelloe SC took Detective Garda Grainne Collier, of Pearse Street garda station, through the facts of the case.

Det Gda Collier told the court how Ms Ward and the accused were living in a tent at the time and that the victim was 32 weeks pregnant with a baby girl that they had named Ruby Rose.

She said that an altercation between the couple began after Ms Ward was seen in the company of another man.

A significant amount of CCTV and audio footage of their movements had been gathered as part of the investigation, which was put into a compilation for the court.

When the prosecution began playing the footage, Dean Paget stood up to leave and return to the cell holding area but was stopped by two prison officers.

A supporter of the victim shouted: "You did the crime" and "there's no point in him leaving court”.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott acceded to a defence application to allow the accused remain outside of court while the footage was played.

CCTV evidence was taken from a number of different locations around Dublin city centre into the early hours of April 25, 2021.

In one clip, Paget can be seen arguing with Ms Ward on Dame Street at 4.56am and is heard shouting at her: "Is he your fella?”

Footage then shows him attacking Ms Ward and striking her multiple times with punches and kicks to the abdomen while she is on the ground.

The court also heard an audio recording from a camera on the street in which Paget is heard saying: "Do you want the guards? I'm going to rip her out of you."

This, the garda said, was in relation to the baby.

Footage shows further assaults taking place at Dame Street and Digges Lane, during which Ms Ward is struck several times and dragged along the ground.

Det Gda Collier said that during the course of the assaults, Paget threatened to kill his partner and referred to their child as "a bastard", which the prosecution said was reference to his claims that somebody else had fathered the child.

The court was shown further footage of them pitching a tent together at Montague Lane at around 5am, which was followed with a "significant amount of movement inside" moments later.

Det Gda Collier said that at around 10.30am that morning, Ms Ward can be seen on CCTV "gingerly" leaving the tent, in an attempt not to alert Paget, before fleeing.

She later attended the Rotunda Hospital because of concerns for her baby's welfare.

Tests at the hospital confirmed there was no foetal heartbeat. A post-mortem examination later established the cause of death as a placental abruption, which was a primary result of the assault.

Det Gda Collier said Paget was arrested and initially claimed the victim was making up the seriousness of what had happened.

Later, in a garda interview, he was shown CCTV footage. After seeing the footage, the court heard, he said he couldn't remember much of the incident.

The garda agreed with defence counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC that Paget accepted it was him in the footage and became upset during his fourth garda interview.

In a victim-impact statement, Ms Ward said life "will never be the same again". She added that she thinks about what happened every day.

"I was looking forward to bringing my baby girl into this world. She never had a chance," Ms Ward said in the statement, which was read out by Det Gda Collier.

She also said Paget will have to live with what he did to her and her little girl.

"I want him to pay for everything he has done. There's no going back for him – he knew what he was doing.”

Ms Ward said her baby, Ruby Rose, was a "beautiful little girl" whose grave she now visits to keep her memory alive.

Defence counsel, Ms Lawlor, said there was nothing she could say about the "graphic illustration of heinous violence" carried out by her client.

In mitigation, she submitted that he was a chronic drug user at the time, that he entered an early guilty plea and that he was remorseful.

In a letter, written by Paget, he said he was "ashamed of my life" and that he wished he "could turn back the hands of time".

Ms Lawlor also said the attack was not premeditated, did not involve weapons and did not include any third parties.

Paget will be sentenced on February 7 and was remanded in custody.

Helplines: If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, click here for more information https://www.independent.ie/service/helplines-40487532.html