Ex-Lake in the Hills village president gets conditional discharge on domestic battery charge

WOODSTOCK – Former Lake in the Hills Village President Paul Mulcahy avoided jail time one week after a judge found him guilty of throwing his then-girlfriend out of his house and dragging her down a flight of stairs.

Judge Michael Feetterer sentenced Mulcahy on Monday to one year of conditional discharge and ordered he pay a $75 fine and court costs, which included a $50 contribution to Turning Point of McHenry County and $10 to Crime Stoppers. Conditional discharge is a form of probation, but Mulcahy won’t have to make regular visits to a probation officer as long as he stays out of trouble.

Mulcahy, 65, also has to complete a substance abuse evaluation and follow any treatment recommendations, and he cannot have contact with the woman involved in the incident.

Mulcahy was convicted of two counts of domestic battery after a bench trial Aug. 21 before Feetterer. He was acquitted on additional counts of the misdemeanor charge.

Mulcahy spoke in court Monday and said he did not want any further contact with the woman after he “made a terrible mistake.”

“I deeply regret what I did that night,” Mulcahy said. “I’m a better person than I was on Nov. 6 and I intend to stay a better person.”

Mulcahy took the stand during the one-day trial Aug. 21 and said he drank three beers Nov. 6 over a six-hour period and his then-girlfriend had four double-vodka drinks and a glass of wine, prosecutors have said.

Mulcahy said the woman he had dated for about two years was verbally abusive and the two had broken up before they decided to meet for dinner. Mulcahy claimed that she asked him to take her back Nov. 5, prosecutors said.

After they went out for appetizers and drinks, the two argued when they returned to his home, prosecutors said. Mulcahy said he told her she had to leave or get a ride home, but she became upset and continued to text, call and ring the doorbell, prosecutors said.

Mulcahy testified that the woman entered his home through a window and was sleeping in a spare bedroom for a period of time before Mulcahy found her. He again asked her to leave and when she did not, he pulled her down the stairs.

Police were called and Mulcahy was arrested and charged with several counts of domestic battery. Police testified that the woman was upset and had abrasions on her back from her shoulder blades down her back, prosecutors said. She was found outside the home in a tank top and underwear.

Feetterer said Mulcahy was not justified in the force he used to remove the woman from his home.

Neither side argued for jail time. Assistant State’s Attorney Theresa Voge Kaman said that Mulcahy had no criminal history and has otherwise lived a law-abiding life. In addition to what Feetterer said, Kaman recommended at least three random drug screens, that he consume no alcohol or illegal substances, and that he have no contact with the restaurant where the woman works.

His defense lawyer, Bill Bligh, agreed that his client should not serve any jail time and recommended six months of conditional discharge as opposed to a full year. He also said Mulcahy is getting counseling and has since his arrest.

Mulcahy said the events that night changed his life, including his time as village president. Mulcahy, who had been village president since 2013, lost a re-election bid in the spring to Russ Ruzanski.

He said during his campaign he approached a female constituent’s house and went to introduce himself but was immediately told to leave after she told him she knew who he was and what he did.

“I’ll never forget the look on her face,” he said.