A man tried to strangle a woman with her own T-shirt in the course of a 24-hour spell where he kept a chair or Hoover against the door of the apartment to prevent her from leaving.
Det Garda Sharon Sweeney said the visibly injured complainant had just secured an interim barring order under the Domestic Violence Act following the alleged 24-hour ordeal.
Det Garda Sweeney said the accused man made no reply to any of the four charges of assault causing harm under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
One of those charges related to a 24-hour period from the afternoon of Monday, November 15, to the afternoon of the following day. The other assault charges related to different occasions from December 2020 and May 24 and November 14 this year.
The detective met the complainant after 5pm on Tuesday November 16. “She was in a distressed state. She had severe bruising around her head, neck and face and all over her body. She said she was kept in an apartment for 24 hours. She alleged that during it he assaulted her in various locations in the flat and that he placed a chair against the door in an effort to stop her leaving.
“He went out to collect his social welfare at 430pm and it was only then that she felt safe to leave.
“He tried to strangle her with her own black T-shirt. He punched her repeatedly in the face, causing her nose to bleed. She was covered in blood. She alleged he threatened to kill her on numerous occasions during and after the attack.
“Gardaí had to use force to get in. He barricaded himself with a table.
“Over 300 texts were sent to her in the 24-hour period. These included threatening texts [sent when they were both in the apartment],” Det Gda Sweeney alleged at Cork District Court.
Bail was objected to, on the basis of concerns for the woman’s safety. The detective said: “I cannot overstate my concerns about the danger to the life and safety of the injured party from [defendant’s name]. I don’t believe there are any conditions [of bail that would be satisfactory]. She was held against her will for 24 hours and spent the last two days in CUH.
Frank Buttimer, defending, said the defendant, who is in his mid-30s, had received threatening voicemails from relatives of the complainant and that when gardaí called he did not know who was outside.
Mr Buttimer said the defendant said he was bitten on the hand by the complainant and that, “he [the defendant] said he was immersed – in effect – in an attack on him.”
Complainant’s evidence
The complainant, who was visibly, heavily bruised to her face,
