Courts will protect domestic violence victims, promises judge

A judge has assured victims of domestic violence the courts will protect them.

Offenders who breach court orders under the Domestic Violence Act will be severely punished, Judge James McNulty warned, as he sentenced a 56-year-old man to four months’ jail.

Violence in the home was all too common and sadly, said Judge McNulty, it was not only partners but sons and daughters who also put family members under threat.

“There are remedies to domestic violence and they are easily accessible through a district court office,” he told Bantry District Court.

“There is protection from the courts when victims of domestic violence find the courage to seek the court’s help.

“They will find it surprisingly easy to access justice and achieve protection through a court order. They will discover they are not without hope or protection.”

He made his comments in a case in which Marcus Quantick, formerly of Dalewood, Glengarriff, admitted breaching a court safety order under the Domestic Violence Act. It was alleged he used violence against his partner, Sonja White, assaulted her and put her in fear for her safety in April.

At a court in Clonakilty last week, Quantick was jailed for six months for previous breaches of safety orders. Quantick was given four months’ imprisonment to run concurrent to the existing sentence.

The judge left a further 10-month jail term hanging over Quantick, to act as a deterrent if he ever returns to Ms White’s home.

Solicitor Flor Murphy said Quantick, due for release at the end of January, was anxious to have the April case dealt with while he was servicing a sentence.

Supt Mick Fitzpatrick said Ms White contacted gardaí about the breach of the court order but did not make a statement.

At a previous sitting, where he imposed a jail sentence to act as a deterrent, Judge McNulty ruled Quantick could not return to Dalewood without the consent of the court. “If he wants to talk to her or if she wants to see him, he is not to go back to that place,” he said. “And if he phones her or talks to her anywhere, he is not to put her in fear.”