Courts

Woman feared partner would kill her during row over his video game playing

Judge grants one year Safety Order after hearing allegations of violence in former couple’s relationship

The woman told the court her ex-partner had played an Xbox game for a long time and got angry when she said they should be watching a film. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images

Gordon Deegan
Mon Jan 8 2024 - 16:05

A man set fire to his partner’s shoes, whipped her with a belt, spat at her and then tried to set her hair on fire during a row over his video game use, the Family Law Court has heard.

Judge Alec Gabbett granted the woman’s application for a one year Safety Order against the man after being told that the man texted ‘Oops’ after sending an intimate video of the woman into a group chat.

The woman told the judge that the man “did it to be evil towards me”. She said two people in the group saw the video before her now ex-partner deleted it. Judge Gabbett said circulating intimate material in such a way is a criminal offence.

The woman said the two had been living together and that during the week before Christmas the man was playing a game on his Xbox console “when we were supposed to be watching a movie together”. She said he had played the game for a long time and got angry when she said they should be watching the film.

READ MORE

“He threatened that he would beat me black and blue,” she said.

The woman told the court that the man then set fire to her shoes, whipped her on the back of her neck with a belt, “spat at me once or twice and threw a bottle of vodka towards me and then tried to set my hair on fire with a can and lighter”.

She added: “I thought he was going to kill me because of the look on his face.”

Colum Doherty, solicitor for the man, said those allegations were disputed by his client.

The woman handed the judge a folder containing texts and communications between the two. In one read out by Judge Gabbett, the man wrote, “where is my X-box controller, you fat f**k?”

After reading the messages from the man, Judge Gabbett said: “I am getting the gist of it.”

The woman said that during their relationship “I was so in love” and said that she had been “foolish” when she dropped previous domestic violence proceedings against the man.

“We moved back in again and he started abusing me again,” she said.

Judge Gabbett remarked, based on the evidence, that when the man “is nice he is nice, but when he is bad, he is very bad”.

The man contested the woman’s application for a Safety Order. However, after the woman gave her evidence, Mr Doherty said his client would consent to it being granted.

Judge Gabbett warned the man that he faces arrest if he so much as texts the woman and will be brought before the court.

LATEST STORIES