Woman ‘scared to go home’ because of man’s drinking

A woman was granted a domestic violence order yesterday against her husband after she said he had pulled the covers off the bed and threatened to get in with her.

The woman told Judge Gerard Furlong, at the Dublin District Family Court, she was married for nine years and her husband, "a recovered alcoholic who has started drinking again", had raped her in the past.

They lived with her adult son from a previous relationship.

She said on Saturday night at 1.40am, her husband came into her bedroom “shouting and roaring” and pulled the covers off the bed and threatened to get in with her.

She said they slept in separate bedrooms and he threatened to kick the door down if she tried to lock him out of her room.

“I’m scared he’s going to kill us, he’s had me by the throat before . . . he’s strangled and raped me before,” the woman, who was close to tears, said. She agreed she had not sought protection on previous occasions.

She said she was scared to go home because she had found a bottle in his room. The judge said he would grant her a protection order, under which her husband could remain at home, but would be arrested if he used violence or threatened to use violence against her.

“Can he drink?” the woman asked. “I don’t have any real power to stop someone drinking,” Judge Furlong said. He said if he had that ability, he would use it every day of the week. He said he would ask gardaí to serve the papers on the woman’s husband.

Separately, the woman’s adult son applied for a protection order against the same man, his stepfather.

The judge granted the protection order and gave a date for a full hearing of both cases.

In another domestic violence case, a mother was granted an eight-day barring order against her 18-year-old son, pending a full hearing of the case.

The woman told Judge Furlong her son had a bad drug problem and stole money from her. On Sunday when she complained, he slapped her in the face and threatened her with a bread knife. There was a scuffle with her father, who came to help and her son left the family home. She said she was worried about the effect on her young daughter.