Man threatened to send gang down to his ex-partner's home, Kildare court told
IN-CAMERA
A woman claimed that her ex-partner threatened to send gang down to her home.
The accusation was heard during an in-camera (in private) at Naas District Court on Thursday, March 2.
The woman told Judge Desmond Zaidan that the threat against her was made back in 2021.
She said that one night, she woke up to a number of missed phone calls from the man between 12am and 3am.
It was heard that she had a protection order against the man at the time of the alleged offence, and the the two share a child together.
The woman explained that the man was previously abusive towards her: "He would call me all kinds of names on so many different occasions," she said: "he would bring other people down to our home unannounced, and he used to stalk and try to intimidate me."
She said she eventually worked up the courage to end the relationship with him.
The woman also said that on one date in 2022, he arrived unannounced to her home early in the morning while she was getting her children ready for school.
"When he saw that one of the children had a sore eye, he accused me of assaulting her, and he threatened to send a gang of men down to my home," she told Judge Zaidan.
The judge asked the woman why she stayed with him for so long, she replied: "I was intimidated, he brainwashed me."
Two separate gardaí took to the stand to back up the woman's claims: one who dealt with the offence in 2021, and the other who dealt with the alleged offence in 2022.
The first garda said that after they cautioned the man in relation to the claims made against him (in 2021) by his ex-partner, he replied: "I'm an idiot."
The second garda added that when they cautioned the man in relation to the allegations made against him (in 2022), he said: "I was allowed (to enter) in the house for five minutes."
The second garda also showed Judge Zaidan evidence of the woman's protection order.
After consideration, the judge said that he was satisfied that the State had proved the breaches of the order 'beyond all reasonable doubt.'
He asked if the man had committed any other offences, and he was told that another incident happened in 2022.
The case will return to court on another date for sentencing.
Judge Zaidan criticised the man's absence from the court, and issued a bench warrant against him.
"I don't think he is taking this (case) seriously," he said.