Woman dragged from bed by partner and injured, Cork court told

A sleeping woman was dragged by the hair from her bed by her partner who smashed her face into a bedside locker and caused her numerous injuries, it was alleged on Friday.

Judge Catherine Ryan decided that the case of assault causing harm, which dates back six years, was too serious to be dealt with at Cork District Court and she declined jurisdiction.

No reason was given for the delay in bringing the case, which dates back to April 13, 2020, but the accused man had been arrested on a bench warrant.

The 42-year-old man was remanded in custody until June 5 for revised DPP directions in light of the judge’s refusal to accept jurisdiction.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the woman was at home in her apartment in Cork city with her partner on the day in question.

“Both had dinner and consumed alcohol during the course of the evening. [She] states that shortly after 1am his mood changed and he became annoyed. She went to bed and he remained in the kitchen.

“Sometime later she was awoken as her partner was dragging her out of bed by the hair. She alleges he hit her head against the edge of a wooden wardrobe and smashed her face into the bedside locker. He then left the apartment. Gardaí were called.

“The injured party was bleeding from her head and her face was bruised,” Sgt Kelleher said.

The sergeant went through the medical report and outlined the injuries described, including soft tissue injuries to the head, face, arms, and torso, bruising around the left eye and the bridge of nose, bruising of the right armpit and both arms, abrasions over the right shoulder, red bump left thoracic area, laceration to scalp, and she was distressed.