A woman has secured protection orders against her two sons at Dublin District Family Court.
The woman told the court on Tuesday: “If someone doesn’t help me I’m going to have a nervous breakdown or a heart attack.”
The woman, who was present in court, said one of her sons lives with her and was very violent and aggressive. “I’m terrified of him,” she said.
The woman said her son suffers with drug and alcohol issues and that three weeks ago he smashed her windows. She said he has previously damaged bins, microwaves, her washing basket and her mobile phone.
The woman told the court her other son also suffers with drug problems but that he doesn’t live with her. She said he was in her home recently and she told him that he couldn’t stay.
Judge John Campbell granted the woman protection orders on an ex-parte (one side only represented) basis against both her sons, which prohibits them from using or threatening to use violence. A full hearing, which both men are expected to attend, was set for a later date.
Protection order
In a separate case, a woman told the court her son threatened to “burn me out of it”. The woman secured a protection order on an ex-parte basis.
The woman told the court her son is on drugs. “I feel my life is threatened at the moment,” she said.
The woman said her son’s behaviour was “unpredictable and erratic” and that she was afraid to leave her home. She said there was an incident at her home recently when her son “came at me to try and get my phone off me”.
“He said he would burn me out of it,” the woman told the court. The woman said her son previously lived with her but that she had the locks changed.
She said her son had come back to the house and was “booting in the door, threatening to put in all the windows”. “I’m walking on eggshells for fear of what he will do,” the woman said.
The woman told the court there was an incident last year when her son “had me up against the wall”.
“It’s been like this for years but it’s gotten really bad since last summer,” she added.
The judge granted the woman a protection order and set a full hearing, which her son is expected to attend, for a later date.
Interim barring order
Separately, a woman secured an interim barring order against her husband. The woman said her husband has a long history of taking cocaine and had threatened to burn down the family home.
The woman said her husband had called her “horrible, filthy names” and she had locked herself in her room as a result of his behaviour.
“He says he’s going to burn this house down,” the woman told the court. “Because he’s on cocaine I don’t know whether he’s capable of that or not.”
The judge granted the woman an interim barring order, which excludes the man from the family home for eight days and from carrying out any further violence or threats of violence, and from watching or being near the home.
A full hearing, which the woman’s husband is expected to attend, was set for next week.
Emergency applications are continuing to be heard at the court at Dolphin House daily.
