A woman who is over four months pregnant has told a court how she was assaulted from behind by the expectant father as she walked to a medical check-up.
At the Family Law court in Ennis, Judge Alec Gabbett granted the woman a Protection Order after hearing details of the alleged day-time public assault on the woman while she walked on a footpath adjacent to a busy road.
The woman told the court that the man "has been staying on and off at mine and his mother’s at the same time”.
She said that the morning of the assault they were in each other’s company but they went separate ways before the man came up from behind and punched her.
She told the court: "I didn’t know he was behind me."
Judge Gabbett said: "You are over four months pregnant and you were going for a check up and it is his child and he assaulted you?”
The woman said ‘yes’.
She said that the man’s behaviour "is irrational and erratic and his behaviour has got worse since I got pregnant”.
Asked was the relationship now over, the woman replied ‘yes'
Asked by Judge Gabbett has the man done this before, the woman said that "he has been in prison and has a record of violence I believe”.
Judge Gabbett told the woman: “If he breaches the order you are to ring the gardaí."
In a separate Protection Order case, a woman told Judge Gabbett that her ex-partner "is drinking and driving with my children”.
The woman told Judge Gabbett: "I am afraid that I am going to wake up and my children are going to be dead. I have repeatedly asked him….”.
Judge Gabbett said: "If that is happening access doesn’t have to take place. You may be up for a breach but maybe you would be able to justify the breach?”
The woman told Judge Gabbett that an access order isn’t in place and Judge Gabbett said that "access at your discretion”.
In her statement seeking the Protection Order, the woman said that her ex-partner continues to try to control her, calls her names and puts her down
The woman said: “I don’t fear him but he is very manipulative, and he keeps coming around.”
In a third case, Judge Gabbett granted a woman a Protection Order after she told the court that ex boyfriend is harassing her and constantly sending her messages.
She told the court that she has tried to block him but he is "sending videos of himself and has sent a naked picture of himself"
The woman said the man "is shining lights on her windows”.
In a fourth case, a woman told Judge Gabbett that her partner calls her and her children "stupid animals, crazy bastards, invalids and other names that don’t translate into English”.
She said: “He says that we should only be feeding the children sandwiches and should not be using electricity.”
In a fifth case, Judge Gabbett granted a woman a Protection Order after she told the court that she has suffered broken bones from assaults carried out by her ex-partner.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Women’s Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Men’s Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information.
