*A probation order has been granted.
A JUDGE has granted a domestic violence Protection Order to a mother of an eleven day old baby girl against the father of the newly born baby.
At the Family Law Court, a judge granted the woman the Protection Order after the judge said that the man was now threatening to come to the woman’s family home and take the baby away from her.
The judge told the court the grounds for the Protection Order application after reading the woman’s statement grounding her application which is brought under the Domestic Violence Act 2018.
The judge asked the woman was there any particular reason why the man was making this threat.
In reply, the new mother said, “He wants to see her but my father won’t let him into the house because he is being abusive”.
The judge asked, “He has been abusing you in the relationship?” And the woman replied ‘yes’.
The young mother told the judge that the new baby girl is her first baby. The father was not in court to contest the ex-parte Protection Order application.
As part of her statement grounding her Protection Order application, the woman told the judge that the father of the baby is sending her “threatening and abusive messages” and she is “scared that something is going to happen”.
The mother has been attending peri-natal mental health and said that they advised her to contact the Gardai concerning the threats being made to her.
The judge asked her, “Are you doing okay?”
From the witness box, the woman replied ’no’.
The judge said, “It is a very difficult time for you. You need lots of rest to try to get yourself back on an even keel. It is a very difficult time so don’t be afraid to take any support you can”.
The woman told the judge that she is not sleeping.
In reply the judge said, “The last thing you need is this fella threatening you. You are doing everything right. Coming to court is the right thing to do”.
The judge said, “I am happy to grant you the order because the last thing you need in this man roaring and shouting at you and being abusive”.
The judge said, “We can do a no contact order for Christmas – if he wants access to the child he can apply to the court”.
The judge told the woman, “Don’t be worrying – it will all come right”.
The Judge said that Gardai can serve the Protection Order documentation on the man “and that should keep it at bay”.
The judge told the woman, “If he breaches the order and comes near you or abuses or shouts at you just ring the Gardai and the Gardai will be able to sort it”.
The judge told the woman, “Take as much as help as you can. Have a lovely Christmas”.
