Woman who said ex-partner tried to strangle her wants him back in her home

A WOMAN who alleged that her ex-partner tried to strangle her asked a judge to alter his bail conditions, so that the man could return to her home.

The accused man had been granted bail, subject to conditions that included staying out of Laois with the exception of attending court.

However, the woman told the court last Thursday that she would agree to variation of his bail conditions to allow him to return to her home, as his life was under threat in Dublin hostels and he was living on the streets.

Judge Andrew Cody asked: “This is the man that was strangling you, according to your evidence and this same man you want back in your house?” 

Gardaí objected to bail when the 34-year-old man first appeared at Portlaoise District Court on 10 July on a charge of assault causing harm, after an alleged strangulation attempt the previous morning.

The case was adjourned until 24 July for directions from the DPP and the man was granted bail under a number of strict conditions. When defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick asked for a condition barring him from Laois to be relaxed, to allow him to consult with her, Judge Cody refused and replied: “He is not to come into Co Laois at all.” 

The judge adjourned the case for two weeks to allow time for DPP directions and to monitor the man’s compliance with his bail requirements.

Judge Cody asked the Laois woman whether she consented to her identity being reported. When she said she didn’t, he imposed reporting restrictions in the case.

At the resumed hearing last Thursday, Sgt Jason Hughes said DPP directions were still awaited and would require a further four weeks.

Ms Fitzpatrick asked the judge to vary her client’s bail conditions regarding his place of residence, as his life was under threat when he stayed at two Dublin hostels. The solicitor said the man’s former partner wanted to support him and so did her family.

In the witness box, the man’s ex-partner confirmed that she was not under any pressure to give evidence. The woman said her ex-partner was reaching out for help and his sister and father were supporting him.

The woman said she was trying to get her ex-partner to stay in her house, while he did anger management and addiction treatment programmes.

She said: “We are all supporting him in that and we’re trying to get him into Coolmine or Cuan Mhuire. I hope that, if he is back at my place, he will get back to being clean and I believe he is committed to that.” 

The woman told Judge Cody that the man was not communicating with her in breach of his bail conditions. She knew about his situation from talking with his sister.

When the judge noted that she had given evidence of her ex-partner attempting to strangle her, yet now she wanted him back in her house, the woman replied: “I was in fight or flight mode, because I wasn’t on my medication at the time.” 

After noting further background details, Judge Cody said he would not allow the defendant back into the woman’s home under the circumstances.

The judge adjourned the case until 8 September for DPP directions on the assault charge, under the same bail conditions.

At the initial hearing on 10 July, Garda Kirby Cox said an emergency call was made to gardaí about an attempted strangulation, at about 5am on 9 July.

She said the details she received were that a couple had been in an intimate relationship for the previous eight months. When she attended the scene, the woman alleged that she was dragged to the floor and that the man put his hands around her neck.

Garda Cox said the woman told her that, earlier in the night, the man was in the bedroom where she saw him take benzodiazepines. She heard their dog barking and went to see what was wrong.

The woman reported that the man then came down the stairs and she told him that, if he tried to get physical with her, she would scream for her sister.

Garda Cox said the woman alleged that the man jumped on the couch, pushed her to the ground and placed his hands around her neck, telling her ‘now call your sister’.

Garda Cox produced photographs, taken within half an hour of her callout, of bruising to the woman’s neck and forearm. An ambulance was called and paramedics saw to her injures, but the woman declined to be taken to hospital.

The garda said that, a short time later, a man was arrested nearby showing signs of intoxication. He was taken to the garda station but was declared unfit to be interviewed for six hours.

Taking the stand, the woman in her sworn evidence said she had been out earlier that night with friends.

She said: “When I came home, he started on me. I told him, I was not taking it and went to sleep on the couch. He came down, jumped on the couch, put his hands around my neck and sat on top of me. 

"I got up and said to him, watch I’m ringing 999 and when I did that he scampered out the back door. I’d have no problem if he gets bail. He can go back to Dublin. I don’t want to go near him.”