Mother told garda 'my child maintenance paid for my boob job', court hears

The father is seeking custody of the boy from the boy's mother with the solicitor stating that the suspected drink-driving episode took place a number of weeks after the couple's son was placed on TUSLA's 'Neglect' register earlier this year.

The boy's father currently has access three days a week and is seeking sole custody of the boy.

However, in court, the woman pleaded with the judge to allow her to keep her son stating that she is now clean of any drugs and alcohol after recently undergoing treatment for her addiction.

Troubled life

The mother wept as she told the court that the way she is described in a report about her life prior to giving up alcohol and drugs “was a very troubled person”.

She said: “I am ashamed…It is like reading a story about a different girl. I fell into addiction. I turned to drink when something bad would happen and get into drugs. But I eventually asked for help and got treatment. I have started to come around and get my life in order, but I was living in hell because a lot of stuff that happened me.”

The mother made the plea after giving harrowing details of her past life - including being raped when she was a teenager and being ‘kicked into labour’ when expecting her second child by an abusive former partner - not the man seeking custody of the woman’s oldest child in the case.

The woman said that she is now only beginning to deal with those issues as part of her treatment and aftercare programme.

She said that the man who raped her received a suspended jail term and was placed on the Sex Offenders' register.

The woman said that for her second child, she was "kicked into labour" by a former abusive partner.

“I was beaten during my whole pregnancy and he beat me where I actually went into labour. I had my baby in the back of an ambulance on the side of the road.”

The woman said that her former partner seeking custody of their son “is the best in the world and he is a really good father but I feel I should stay the primary carer”.

“I am willing to put my heart and soul into my programme and do everything that it takes to put myself right.

"The boy’s father already has him three days a week and at this minute, the only thing I have is my kids and Judge I would ask you to leave them with me so that I get the help that I need and to trust the social workers who are putting me in the right direction.”

She went on: “If I didn’t have my kids, I would feel that my heart would be gone. I would feel I would have lost everything. I have lost enough now. I have lost friends and family because of my addiction.

"My kids are the last thing I have and I hope and pray that what I have done over the last three months that I will be able to keep them.”

She did admit slapping her son across the top of the head - but that this was a once off.

The woman’s mother is currently caring for the child with the boy’s mother having daily access visits.

Under cross-examination from her former partner’s solicitor, the woman denied that she sought treatment only because of the man’s application for sole custody.

The solicitor said that a young man was found dead downstairs in the woman's rented home as a result of drinking too much alcohol and the four-year-old boy was in the house at the time.

In evidence, the father said that he has missed only once access weekend since the boy was born and this was due to a bereavement in the family.

The man said that he was better placed to provide a stable home for their son.

“Of course his mother does love him, but more could be done to keep him happy. All of the choices she has made, none of them benefit our son."

He said that his biggest concern for his son if he stays with his mother, "is that he is going to go backwards and learn the wrong things. His education is not being taken seriously. I think much more could be done for him."

In full-time employment, the man said: “I don’t see why a four-year-old should be on a neglect register. When we were together, my former partner was never like this.”

He said: “I would give him structure and security. He has been in 11 different houses with his mother. She will always be his mother. I would never try to stop that relationship. I honestly think I would be better at raising him. She has had him four years and it hasn’t gone well. Now is my turn to prove that I can do better.”

On the woman completing her treatment and promising to stay away from alcohol and drugs, the man said: "We have heard of all of this before."

The district court judge said that he would give his ruling in the custody case on Tuesday.