Woman rang gardaí from Poland to report alleged assault of daughter

 Judge Olann Kelleher agreed to grant the defendant bail on several conditions.

A Polish woman was too frightened to phone the gardaí about her partner allegedly assaulting her in Cork in the early hours of the morning but she phoned her mother in Poland who alerted the gardaí.

Garda Elaine Gallery arrested the 40-year-old man and charged him today with assault causing harm to the partner, who was not present at Cork District Court for the case as she was in another court seeking a barring order against him under the Domestic Violence Act.

Garda Gallery objected to bail being granted to the accused, stating that he attempted to break her fingers during the alleged assault. 

“It is alleged that on Tuesday night (December 20) and into Wednesday morning he assaulted his partner on numerous occasions at their home — choking, kicking, punching, pushing her, and pulling her hair.”

Mother contacted gardaí

 Garda Gallery testified that the complainant was too frightened to ring gardaí so she rang her mother asking her by phone to Poland to call the police for her in Ireland.

Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said the accused said he was trying to defend himself and that his partner was drunk and stabbed him with a knife. Garda Gallery said there was no complaint from the accused against his partner and added: “She was not intoxicated in any way, shape, or form.”

 Judge Olann Kelleher agreed to grant the defendant bail on conditions which require him to vacate his address and stay away from there, have no direct or indirect contact with the complainant — or communication by social media, abstain from intoxicants and provide a phone number to the gardaí for contact at all times.

Judge Kelleher remanded the accused on bail until January 4. Sergeant John Kelleher said directions were awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions.