Brandished a hedge trimmer in front of wife's face, it's claimed in Kildare court

A man brandished a hedge trimmer in front of his wife’s face, it was alleged at Naas District Court. The man denied this.

The woman told the court that he had become more aggressive and confrontational in recent times and the names he called her had “deteriorated.”

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The woman sought protection under family law legislation and they both live in the same residence  and are going through divorce proceedings.

She said they tried to live together amicably but separately in an arrangement which meant sharing the use of some rooms in the house.

She alleged that he hit her with a TV remote control  after she asked him to close the door because she was listening to the radio.

The woman claimed he said “all women are ugly and you’re uglier than most" and he called her a cow, bitch, c… and “every name under the sun.”

She said she was scared and terrified over the hedge trimmer incident but she was not struck by the tool. She said she reported the incident to the gardaí.

On another occasion, she claimed, he put his fist up to her when she went to close a door.

The woman said she was afraid she would become the victim of a serious assault in the home or worse.

She said that she locks her bedroom door when she is in bed or leaving the house.

The husband said that on one occasion it was his turn to use the sitting room and sometimes he forgets to close the door. He said she came in in a fit of temper and grabbed the remote control, taking it to the kitchen. She refused to give it back and he grabbed it and “ a tug-o-war ensued.” He said he shouldn't have used bad language but he did because he was annoyed. He said he did not strike her or want to strike her

Her husband told Judge Michael Ramsey he did not believe she sustained an injury.

He also said that she had refused to hold open a bag he wanted to put rubbish into after he had been working there for three to four hours and he called her a lazy f…… bitch.” 

He denied brandishing the trimmer in her face.

He said she banged the door when he was listening to a performance of Dylan Thomas’s poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night on radio.

Judge Ramsey said he was striking out the application for a safety order after the husband gave an undertaking not to threaten violence against her. He said if a breach took place he would be brought to court and this could lead to a custody term