Daughter assaulted mother and tried to strangle brother, court hears

An elderly woman has told a court she was assaulted by her daughter, who also tried to strangle her son.

The woman said she is "very frightened" of her adult daughter and was granted an interim barring order at Dublin District Family Court on Friday.

In a sworn statement to the court, the elderly woman said she lives with her son who she cares for.

The woman said her daughter has been coming to her home “intoxicated and violent”. She said her daughter suffers from a mental disorder and she is “very frightened” of her.

The woman said her daughter arrived at her home last week and assaulted her and her son. She said her daughter tried to strangle her son and that her daughter grabbed her arm when she tried to get her off him.

An elderly neighbour then tried to get the woman off her brother and was bitten by her. The woman told the court on a different occasion her daughter put a number of holes through a door in her home with a hammer.

The elderly woman’s other daughter told the court that her mother has been left with bruises and is “terrified”.

‘Afraid opening the door’

The woman had initially applied for a protection order but Judge Gerard Furlong told her she could apply for a barring order given the circumstances.

A protection order prohibits the respondent from using or threatening to use violence. A barring order requires the violent person to leave the home and prohibits the person from entering the home. It also prohibits the person from further violence or threats of violence, watching or being near the home.

The woman proceeded to apply for a barring order and added “we’re afraid opening the door in case it’s her”.

Judge Furlong granted an interim barring order on an ex-parte (one side only) basis and set a date for a full hearing, which the woman’s daughter is expected to attend.

In a separate case, a man was granted a two-year barring order against his son after he smashed up his house and assaulted one of his other children.

The court heard the man was previously granted an interim barring order against his son, who is aged in his 20s. The young man was not present in court for the hearing.

In a sworn statement to the court, the man said his son had previously assaulted one of his other children, smashed up the house and his wife’s phone.

He said his son, who does not live in the family home, is regularly violent. The man said his son is “smoking weed” and that he doesn’t want him in the family home and is fearful for his other children’s safety.

Judge Furlong granted the man a barring order for two years and also included a recommendation within the order that the young man receive drug addiction and domestic violence counselling.