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Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
Woman tells court husband has abused her ‘many times in his sleep'
A woman who alleged that her husband of more than a decade has become increasingly abusive to the point of abusing her while he was sleeping has been granted an interim barring order against him. The woman told Dublin District Family Court she has been attacked by her husband 'many times in his sleep' further claiming that, on several occasions, she has woken to find him sexually assaulting her. She told Judge Gerard Furlong that her husband was also 'extremely abusive and controlling when he's not asleep,' saying he does not want her to work, and does not want her 'going out with anybody or seeing my family'. Her husband left their family home for several months and, after returning, his behaviour in his sleep was 'way worse' and happens every night, he said. READ MORE 'He tells me regularly that I'm mad, mental, unhinged and said that I should kill myself, that my children would be better off without me,' she said in a sworn statement. On one recent occasion, she said her husband followed her 'everywhere' including to shops, making comments about her throughout, adding that he 'humiliates' her in front of their children. She said one of her children, who is currently completing their State exams, is in a 'desperate state' and that the atmosphere in the house is 'unbearable'. the judge granted the interim barring order until a full hearing later this month, saying he did not believe a protection order would be sufficient, given the evidence heard. 'In those circumstances, I'd be asking the gardaí to remove him from the house and he's not to come back,' he said. The woman, who broke down once the interim barring order was granted, thanked him, saying the length of the order 'will be enough time to get the exams out of the way'. In a separate case, a woman who claimed her former partner had lost thousands due to gambling was granted a protection order after an alleged recent rape. The woman originally from eastern Europe, told Judge Furlong their relationship had been 'abusive from the start' but had worsened in recent months due to fights regarding his gambling addiction. 'He's lost thousands of euro,' she said, further claiming that he recently lost his entire wages shortly after being paid, first losing €200 through online gambling before losing a further €800 in city centre casinos days later. 'When he came home, he had 54c in his bank account and no money to pay the rent,' she said, adding that the gambling 'was destroying' their lives. The woman told the judge that, last week, her former partner 'became aggressive and he raped me'. She said following the incident, she tried to call gardaí but he 'shouted and commanded me to go back to bed', adding that he subsequently took her phone and placed it on his side of the bed for the night. She said she believed the rape was 'revenge' for refusing to give him money, and for arguments and her repeated refusals to have sex with him. She said after attending the Rotunda Hospital and reporting the rape to gardaí, she was brought to a women's refuge centre where she has stayed since. She fears seeing her former partner, who has called her mother in an attempt to locate her since, the woman added. The judge said the option of a barring order was available to her, which would result in him having to leave their apartment, though the woman said she could not afford to pay €1,300 in rent. He granted an interim protection order 'with no hesitation' until her case returned to the court.
Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Irish Times
Woman alleges she lost pregnancy following assault by man who ‘made me a prostitute'
A distressed woman who alleged she recently lost a pregnancy following an assault by a man who 'made me a prostitute' has secured an interim barring order against him. The woman, who had visible facial injuries when she attended the emergency domestic violence court at Dublin's Dolphin House alone, said that when she first met the man she was a teenager and he knew she was a child in care. He 'made me a prostitute' up to two years ago, she said. 'I can't do it any more.' It was her birthday recently, and she was at home pregnant when he assaulted her, she said. She was treated in hospital and is no longer pregnant, she said. READ MORE Her accommodation was provided with assistance from the Health Service Executive and is in her name only, but the man lives there, 'won't leave me alone', is 'very controlling' and refuses to leave, she said. 'He's in the house right now.' In response to Judge Gerard Furlong asking whether she was in a relationship with the man, she said: 'I would not call it a relationship.' She is in fear of her life, the woman said. 'At this stage, I'm only existing, I'm taking a chance on him killing me.' When the judge asked if she had children with the man, she said: 'I gave them up for adoption.' Granting the woman's ex parte (only one side was represented in court) application for an interim barring order, the judge told her she should immediately bring the order papers to her local Garda station and they would remove the man from her home. She should contact gardaí if he returns or tries to make contact, he said. [ Man barred from home over aggressive behaviour can return after agreeing to conditional safety order Opens in new window ] 'I won't go home, I'll go straight to the guards now,' she said. When the judge asked would she return to court when the interim order is due to be reviewed later this month, she replied: 'Hopefully.' In another of several ex parte applications under the Domestic Violence Act before the judge on Friday, a woman said she is in fear as a result of her ex-partner's 'extremely obsessive' behaviour. They have lived apart for several years but, over the past two weeks, he has been stalking her, sitting in his van close to her home, constantly calling her wanting to know where she is and who she is with, and threatening her, including telling her 'a gang of women' would beat her up, she said. He has stopped paying maintenance for their teenage daughter 'as a form of punishment', she added. Her home is rented solely in her name, but he has a key that he is not entitled to and will not return to her, she said. She plans to change the locks, she said. [ Son menaced mother in demand for €100 to buy cocaine, court told Opens in new window ] 'I believe his mental health is very unstable and he is a danger to me,' she said. Judge Furlong said he would grant a protection order. As the order was being handed to the woman, she told the judge: 'My hands are shaking. I've never been in here before in my life.' In a different application, an elderly woman who said she is afraid of her husband and fears he is tampering with her food got a protection order against him. She saw her husband putting something in her food and was sick afterwards, she said. She eats out daily because she is afraid to eat at home, she said. Her husband has two sprays, she does not know what is in them, and he caused her 'terrible' pain after spraying one of them into her eyes, which became all bloodshot, she said. She is afraid of him, she said, adding that he broke her ribs in the past with his elbow.
