*The matter was before Ennis District Court this week.
A CLARE woman has been granted a Protection Order against her brother who lives with her in their family home.
The Protection Order was granted by a judge after the woman showed him a video of her brother in a church placing a carpet knife on a bible threatening that he would ‘slaughter her’ if she proceeds to marry her fiancé in the same Church.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett told the Clare woman that she needs to go to the Gardaí with the video that the woman’s brother uploaded to a social media site.
Judge Gabbett said, “I would like you to go and talk to the Gardaí and play that to the Gardaí”.
The woman said, “He has been on social media this morning in the church where I am supposed to get married and he has put a carpet knife on the Bible”.
The woman in the witness box handed her mobile phone to Judge Gabbett to show the video of her brother in the Church.
Judge Gabbett played the video in court and the man can be heard saying “I swear on that bible and I swear on my children I am cutting lumps out of you, you will not get married inside in this church”.
He goes on, “See this Church? You will not be getting married in it because I will come and slaughter you and whoever wants to stand in front of you I will slaughter them”.
Judge Gabbett told the woman that she may also need to apply for a Restraining Order against her brother.
Judge Gabbett said that the circumstances in which the woman was seeking the Domestic Violence Protection Order “are very unusual”.
The woman said that she lives with her brother in the family home.
The woman told Judge Gabbett that as she was coming to court, her brother passed her in a car and was banging on the window of the car.
The woman said that her wedding is due to take place later this year.
Judge Gabbett said, “Effectively he is threatening you with violence because you are getting married to someone he doesn’t like”.
The woman said that her brother doesn’t know her fiancé.
The woman secured the Protection Order without the other side present and Judge Gabbett has adjourned the hearing of the case to June where the brother can contest or consent to the making of a Safety Order.
