A man “deliberately” breached a safety order by being present while his former partner was in court and later encouraged others to fight with her, a court has heard.
The 64-year-old man pleaded guilty to breaching a safety order at the Four Courts, Dublin, in July 2019. The maximum sentence for this offence is 12 months in custody.
He cannot be named to protect his former partner’s right to anonymity.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the injured party was the defendant in a case listed in the Four Courts.
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She has a large following on social media and the court heard that some people who did not agree with her content were present in the public gallery.
The injured party noticed her former partner was also in the public gallery. Eimear Delargy, prosecuting, told the court it is not suggested the man was part of the group present.
The woman told her legal team that the man was there, in contravention of a safety order dated June 2018.
She was advised by her solicitor to leave the courtroom. The court heard that the woman was attacked by up to 15 women in the vicinity of the Supreme Court.
The defendant and approximately five other men were on the outskirts of the disorder. He was shouting and encouraging the incident while others also filmed it.
Some of the woman’s friends attempted to break up the disorder, and security were contacted with gardaí breaking it up.
The woman was visibly distressed and upset afterwards, and had cuts to her face and neck. She went to hospital where she was treated for cuts and bruises.
The safety order was renewed and remains in place. The court heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions directed summary disposal, but jurisdiction was refused by the District Court judge.
The investigating garda agreed with Keith Spencer, defending, that his client was not involved in the violence and drew the attention of gardaí to where the fighting was taking place.
Spencer said his client has a non-profit business and volunteers within the community.
He said his client now accepts he should not have been there and that his presence was inappropriate.
His client came to Ireland from Nigeria in the late 1990s, later obtaining asylum then subsequently citizenship. He has four children, one of whom died more than 10 years ago.
The man has several health issues and a good work history, but was unable to continue work following the death of his child.
Spencer asked the court to consider giving his client the benefit of Section 100 of the Probation Act.
Denying this application, Judge Orla Crowe said it was a “deliberate contravention” of an existing court order obtained one year earlier.
Imposing sentence, the judge said this was a “deliberate breach” of a safety order, noting that the man would have known he was breaching the order and it showed and a “reckless disregard for orders in place”.
She noted he was among a crowd encouraging a violent disorder, but was not involved in the fighting.
The judge said it must have been “deeply upsetting” and distressing for the woman.
She noted the man’s apology and that he “does regret his presence at this very unedifying spectacle”.
Having considered his personal circumstances, the judge imposed a six-month sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions.
