A woman whose husband was barred from her home in Cork returned at night to find him in her bed and when she challenged him he started shouting at her.

The 44-year-old man pleaded guilty today at an in camera hearing of Cork District Court to breaching a barring order by turning up at her home on the night of July 11.

He pleaded guilty to a second offence of breaching the same order by putting her in fear when he phoned her five times in seven minutes on the night of July 17.

Judge Olann Kelleher told the accused man: “These are very serious charges. You are not going to jail today but the two charges carry 12-month prison sentences.”

The judge noted that there had been no difficulties between the parties since July 11.

“I will give you one chance,” Judge Kelleher said.

He imposed a five-month sentence, suspended for a period of two years.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the woman was out that night when her husband, from whom she is separated, turned up at the house and was allowed in by the couple’s teenage son.

Later when she returned home she went up to her bedroom and found the defendant in her bed. Sergeant Kelleher said that when she told him to leave the house he started screaming and shouting at her.

He eventually left the house but, on the night on July 17, he phoned her in breach of a the barring order and made abusive and threatening comments to her.

He asked could he come to the house and repair the locks and when she told him not to do so he got angry and screamed down the phone, calling her a bitch. He made a total of five phone calls in the course of seven minutes.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said, “Unfortunately, there are differences between the parties and they have discontinued their relationship.”