Judge warns wife not to identify husband on Facebook or face wrath of court
A judge has told a woman who posted a picture and details of court proceedings relating to her allegedly abusive husband on Facebook that she will be in contempt of court if she does it again.
The woman told a Family Law court in Dublin that she posted a picture of her husband online and wrote: “Now everybody sees your face and you don’t hit me anymore.”
Her husband was applying for a safety order because he said his wife had threatened to kill him.
He said that after a court date last May, when she obtained a safety order against him, she put an “urgent notice” to women on Facebook, saying that he was a violent person.
He told the court that his wife said she will destroy his life if he doesn’t go back to his “f**king country”.
Family law proceedings are governed by an “in camera” rule, which means nobody cannot be identified outside of court.
The woman admitted to Judge Gerard Furlong that she had previously taken a photograph of her husband in court. Judge Furlong warned her that a person can go to prison for breaking the “in camera” rule.
Judge Furlong asked the woman to undertake that she would not threaten her husband or put him in fear or post anything about him on the internet.
Judge Furlong told her: “If you ever put anything up about family law on the internet you will be in contempt of court. It’s not tolerated.”
She told the Dublin District Family Court, sitting in Dolphin House, that she had since taken the posts down.
Judge Furlong denied the husband the safety order. He noted that the husband was currently appealing his wife’s safety order against him.
The wife was applying for spousal maintenance, and the husband applied for a safety order against her. They have no children together and separated in April of this year.
Judge Furlong ordered the husband pay €40 per week to his wife towards her rent.
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