Man put wife in fear and ordered garda out of home
Judge David Riordan said at Cork District Court that the defendant, Paul Conway of Brookside, Lower Killeens, Blarney, Co Cork, was under a court sanction at the time as his wife, Marie, had a protection order against him, whereby the court ordered him not to put her in fear.
“The court takes a very serious view of orders that are given not like Smarties to children, they are given for good reason, but notwithstanding the order he commits this offence. The court must deal with it in a manner to deter him and anyone who might hear his story. All his wife wants is peace in her home. His behaviour was nothing short of acting the bully,” said the judge.
He noted that Conway was contrite for his behaviour on December 30 and he fined him 300 for breaching the protection order and also imposed a two-month suspended prison sentence. The sentence will come into effect if he commits a similar offence within the next two years, the judge warned.
Solicitor Finian Dullea said the defendant, who pleaded guilty, was never in trouble before and had been married for 20 years. He had been remanded in custody from the time of the offence until yesterday.
Garda Brendan Murphy responded to a call from Mrs Conway at 8.30pm on December 30 and she let the garda into the house.
He noticed she appeared to be in fear and she complained that her husband was drunk and shouting in the house. Paul Conway approached the guard and said, “F**k off out of my house, I am having a private row. I’ll sort it out myself.” Garda Murphy told him he was obliged to try and sort it out as the matter had been reported to him and there was a protection order in place. After staying there and trying to calm the situation for a half an hour Garda Murphy went back to the station to get a copy of the protection order When he got back, the defendant was verbally aggressive again and the garda arrested him. In reply after caution Conway called him a “bo*****s”.
