A woman in Dublin who alleged her ex-partner threatened to “burn alive” their young son has been granted a protection order after a court heard he is “capable of anything”.
The woman, who attended the emergency domestic violence court in Dolphin House on Friday, told judge Gerard Furlong she and her family have received “nothing but abusive threats” from her ex-partner in recent weeks.
The threats had intensified since an alleged incident last month, in which she said he “smashed” the window of her sibling’s home with glass falling “in on top” of her brother’s child, who was sleeping in a pram under the window.
“We’re in fear for our lives,” she said. “He’s under the influence of drugs and is capable of anything.”
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She said on Thursday this week her former partner sent threatening messages, with one saying she and her family “will pay”.
He told her “he was going to slit my throat” and harm her grandmother, she said.
She told the court she has “dealt with” her ex-partner for several years, and they have a son – of preschool age – together, who he “threatened to burn alive”.
The woman said she needed the order to “keep me and my child safe”. She said her ex-partner has had no access to their child since he was born and does not pay maintenance.
“He doesn’t even contact for his child,” she said.
The judge granted an interim protection order, which also prohibited any contact with her or their child until a full hearing on the matter at a later date, during which she could seek a five-year-long order.
In a separate case on Friday morning, a woman was granted a protection order after she alleged her “very cruel” husband of more than a decade “always” forces her to have sex.
The woman told judge Furlong her husband has been “abusing me very badly” in recent months, saying she is “suffering” daily.
“His behaviour is very cruel, he always abuses and sexually harasses me, even if I am sick, he forces me to do sex. If I don’t accept it, he bites me very hard,” she said.
The woman alleged that her husband is “very aggressive and angry” and “beats me” at times.
“He is always forcing me for sexual activity,” she said, adding that when she says no, “he holds my hand very tightly, and bites me”.
This happened again on Thursday, she said, during which he was also “pulling and pushing me” against the wall.
“After that, he did sex with me,” she said.
She added that her husband often threatens to attempt suicide in front of her, saying their home is “not safe for me or my children”.
“Most importantly”, she said, he is “always threatening” to take their children “far away” from her to another country.
The woman said she was seeking a protection order and not a barring order, which would have seen him removed from the family home.
“I want to give him a chance,” she said.
Judge Furlong granted the temporary protection order until a hearing at a later date, prohibiting any violence or putting her or her children in fear for their safety.
“If he does anything like that, you lift the phone and the guards will come and arrest him,” he said, adding that she could apply for a barring order should she need to before the hearing.
The judge added a condition to the order that neither parent may remove their children from the State without permission from the other.
