Judge urges pensioner couple to ‘get along’ after 40 years of marriage

A judge has urged a pensioner couple married for more than 40 years but living in different parts of the same house to get on with each other.

At the Family Law Court, Judge Alec Gabbett made his comment after the man and woman gave sworn undertakings not to verbally or physically abuse each other.

The court was told that the wife lives upstairs while her husband lives downstairs.

Previously, the court heard that the man refused a request from his wife, who was suffering from two suspected minor heart attacks, to call an ambulance. At the Family Law Court in June 2021, the woman alleged that she was suffering from chest pains at home when she sought assistance from her husband.

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The two have previously given undertakings in court not to enter each other’s bedrooms and bathrooms at their home.

In June 2021, Judge Mary Larkin granted the woman the protection order and also granted the husband a protection order after he alleged that his wife hit him with a frying pan.

The husband was bringing a new Safety Order application against his wife and it was struck out by Judge Gabbett on the basis of the sworn undertakings. Judge Gabbett said to the two, aged in their 60s, to “try now and get on with each other”.

When asked by the judge if they could co-exist peacefully, the woman said: “I would love to be able to get on with him and to speak properly - like an adult would speak to each other, but he won’t - he is old school.”

The couple travelled separately to the court from their rural home and the woman said the court trip has cost her €150 in a taxi fare.

The man said that he was attacked by their daughter’s boyfriend and Judge Gabbett said that the alleged assault is currently before the criminal court.

The woman said that her husband drinks every single day non stop.

“When he has drink taken, he is very abusive,” she said, adding that “he never hits me”.