Limerick man in 'on-and-off again' relationship deemed to be ‘a danger to future women’

A LIMERICK mechanic came before Limerick District Court for intimidating his “on and off again” girlfriend.

Giving evidence, the victim explained that on a night in July, a man came banging on her house door whilst drunk, and threw stones at her window.

The woman then called the gardaí, who arrested the man. The man - who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim - was informed in June that the woman had taken out a protection order against him and that he was to avoid all contact with the woman.

Garda Burke stated in the hearing that the man had already breached the barring order three times prior.

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Prosecuting Inspector Martyn Wallace questioned the woman on the impact that the breach had on her. The woman told Judge Valerie Corcoran: “He’s very intimidating, he’s very dangerous” and that the man's behaviour “ruined me, it crushed me.”

She further stated: “He’s a danger to future women” and that the man “has been so abusive before, he broke down my door.”

The woman told the court that the man rang her 50 times in one day, and she got a new phone and sim in order to avoid contact with the man. Evidence of the man's phone contact was shown to Garda Burke, however photographic evidence was not available of the breach.

Barrister-in-Law, Donal Cronin, defending the man, asked if the pair's relationship could be described as “on again and off again”, to which the woman agreed.

Inspector Wallace detailed that the man has a number of previous convictions, including threatening and abusive behaviour, obstruction of a peace officer, unauthorised taking of a vehicle, arson, and the possession of drugs. The man has also spent a period in prison.

Mr Cronin BL said in mitigation that his client “No longer has addiction issues and is in full time employment locally at a garage.”

Judge Corcoran imposed a penalty of €500 on the man, giving him six months to pay.

-Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme