A man described as a "devout Muslim" has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for trying to kill his wife by beating her with a kettlebell.

Lounes Ouachek of St. Dominic's Terrace, Tallaght in Dublin said he was "unhappy with the path she was going on" when he attacked her in August 2012.

Ruta Ouachek was left to die after being bludgeoned in the head by her estranged husband - a man she married in his native Algeria a year earlier.

Lounes Ouachek then pulled the blinds, locked the doors and flew to Tunisia. Previously, the court heard how the couple's marriage broke down after Lounes lost his job.

Ruta had gone back to college following the birth of their child and Lounes resented her independence.

They separated in May 2012 and Ruta (35) asked for a divorce.

She told gardai that he began stalking her and three months later, he beat her with the kettlebell after calling over to collect some of his stuff.

Almost 10 hours after the attack, gardai found Ruta unconsciousness on her bathroom floor. She suffered a fractured skull and required surgery.

Today, Mr. Justice Paul Carney described the callous and brutal nature of the attack before sentencing him to 12 years behind bars.