A YOUNG woman was terrified by a text from her ex-partner that he was on his way to her house late at night to kill her and she woke her children in a panic to get them out to safety.

Judge Olann Kelleher said it must have been a terrifying experience for the young woman and for her children, who were screaming and crying as they were woken and taken to the safety of their grandmother’s house to get away from their father.

The 31-year-old man who sent this text to his ex-partner pleaded guilty to trespassing in a manner that caused fear, engaging in threatening behaviour, and being drunk to such an extent that he was a danger to himself or others.

Judge Kelleher imposed a sentence of nine months on the man at Cork District Court.

“One can only imagine the trauma and fear of getting the children out of bed to a safe place from the father of the children.

“This was a serious violation, causing fear — young children on the road, in a hurry, in their underwear, to get away from their father,” the judge said.

Sergeant Pat Lyons said it occurred in the early hours of February 2, when the woman’s ex-partner sent a message that he was on his way to the house following a previous domestic incident.

In the domestic incident he was banging on the door, shouting, and screaming outside the house.

When the gardaí arrived to deal with this matter, the accused shouted at them, “Come on, you f***ing pigs.” The injured party testified about the impact of the night’s events on her.

“The night of the incident was very traumatic. He threatened to come and kill me. He said, to get the kids out of the house, that I was dead, he was going to kill me,” she said.

Cathal Lombard, defence solicitor, suggested that the relationship resumed for a short period after February. The victim said it did, but only because the defendant begged her, but she said that, really, this was the last straw.

Mr Lombard said the accused had an addiction problem. The victim agreed, but said she had tried to help him with rehabilitation, but that the addiction was still a problem. The solicitor said the 31-year-old acknowledged that his behaviour was completely unacceptable on the night.