Man remanded in custody for breaching court order by shouting in ex-partner's letterbox

A man who arrived at the home of his ex-partner in Donegal and began shouting in the letterbox has been remanded in custody.

The man, who is aged in his 30s and cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the woman, has been charged with breaching a protection order that had been made in court.

The accused man was remanded in custody when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court before Judge Éiteáin Cunningham.

The man was charged with an offence contrary to section 33 (1) of the Domestic Violence Act, 2018.

It was alleged that he contravened a protection order contrary to section 10 of the Domestic Violence Act in that, the day after the order was made, he arrived intoxicated to the woman's home at a location in County Donegal and was down on his knees shouting in the letterbox of the door and putting the applicant in fear.

Evidence of the arrest, charge and caution of the man was given by way of schedule to the court.

An Garda Síochána objected to bail.

Gardai outlined that the defendant was found on his knees shouting through a letterbox at the address of the woman and put her in fear.

Gardai said the protection order prevented the man from watching or besetting the home of the woman.

The woman was in fear and had previously outlined her fears and reasons for applying for the protection order from the court.

The woman took to the witness box and told Judge Cunningham that she is suffering from constant post-traumatic stress disorder and said she would be afraid if the man were granted bail.

“He has been to places uninvited and I am afraid he will do it again,” she said. “How can I guarantee my safety. I know that he will be back. I can't guarantee that he won't be back. I am afraid that he will be back to my door.”

Solicitor for the accused man, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said his client fully accepts that he needs medical intervention.

The woman said she doesn't want to see the man “in any way whatsoever”.

“I need to move forward. I can't move back,” she said.

Mr Gallagher put his client into the witness box. He said he undertook to accept the protection order and that it meant he could not contact the woman by any means.

“I will not contact this girl again,” the man said.

At various intervals during the hearing, Mr Gallagher had to instruct his client to be silent as he attempted to address the court and the woman about his feelings for her.

Sergeant Jim Collins said: “I think it's straightforward to say that an order is in place and his attitude suggests that he will continue to interfere with this witness.”

Judge Cunningham said she accepted the evidence of the prosecution.

The man was remanded in custody to appear again at Letterkenny District Court on May 27.