A MAN allegedly tried to strangle a woman with her own T-shirt during a 24-hour spell where he kept a chair or vacuum cleaner against the door of the apartment to prevent her from leaving.

Detective 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.

Charges

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,” alleged Det Garda Sweeney at Cork District Court. “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 4.30pm 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 to 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).”

Objection to bail

Bail was objected to, on the basis of concerns for the woman’s safety.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer 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”.

Mr Buttimer asked the complainant about only complaining now about alleged assaults dating back, in one case, to December last year. She replied: “He told me if I went to the guards he was going to kill my family.”

Judge Olann Kelleher said the complainant presented as someone who was, ostensibly, seriously injured. He refused bail and remanded the accused in custody for a week.