Safety order for woman who says ex-partner abusive and violent

A woman who alleged her former partner spat in her face and called her a whore outside a courtroom has been granted a safety order.

The woman told Dublin District Family Court her former partner, with whom she has a baby, has been violent towards her on several occasions.

Both she and her former partner were attending court on Friday to deal with a safety order application, guardianship of their child and access.

The woman told the court her former partner spat in her face and called her a whore while they were waiting outside the courtroom. The man admitted to instances of violence in the past but denied the woman’s claim.

The court heard the woman was granted a protection order in August.She said she is afraid of her former partner and that previously he assaulted her outside her home while the baby was in her arms. She said he had pulled her hair as she had told him to f**k off after he said their child needed to go to the doctor.

“I know I shouldn’t have said this,” said the woman. “He had told me the baby needed to go to the doctor, I know when my baby is sick.”

Fractious relationship

The woman said co-workers had asked her previously about bruises and an injury to her lips. She said since the protection order was granted, there was an incident where they were arguing in the man’s car, when he pulled her hair and she subsequently hit him.

She said she did not call gardaí about that incident as she was afraid to and did not notify them regarding the incident outside the courtroom on Friday as she “didn’t have the chance to”.

The man said he was agreeable to a six-month safety order but his former partner said she was seeking protection for a longer period.

The man told the court there had been physical fights in their relationship and that he had also sustained injuries. “She hurt me, I hurt her,” he said. “I have marks too.”

The man said co-workers had asked him about marks on his face he had received from his former partner.

The man denied pulling her hair outside her home and said he had instead reached out, trying to grab her arm while the baby was in her arms.

Judge John Lindsay said "clearly your relationship has broken down". He told them they would have to learn how to deal with each other "with respect and in a civil manner".

Safety order

The judge said if they did not, and continued to behave in the manner they were in front of the baby, that the child “will be damaged”.

The judge granted the woman a safety order for two years.

The couple also agreed that for the man’s weekly access to the child, collection and return of the baby would take place outside their local Garda station to avoid any conflict or confrontation.

In a separate case, a woman was granted a safety order against her son. The court heard she was granted a temporary protection order over the summer, which prohibited her son from engaging in violence or threats of violence.

The woman said since then “it hasn’t been great” and that she had to get her son taken out of her home by gardaí on one occasion.

She said her son, who was not present in court, had thrown stones at her last year. She said since the protection order was granted her son had not threatened any violence towards her but described his behaviour as “unpredictable”.

The judge granted a safety order lasting three years.