Businessman urinated and spat on his wife, court hears 

Judge Gabbett said that the application made by the woman was 'a very appropriate one'. Picture: Larry Cummins 

A businessman urinated on his wife, spat into her face when drunk, and punched a pony in the head, it has been alleged in court.

At the Family Law Court, the wife in the case made the domestic violence allegations as part of her Safety Order application.

After hearing the wife’s grounds for the order against her husband and that she is “finished with him”, Judge Alec Gabbett commented that “this is a very tragic marriage breakdown”.

He said: “I’m sorry to say that unfortunately because of the assets the couple have accumulated, it is going to be one of those divorces that will take a while where they all fight it to the death and there is no money left."

Judge Gabbett urged the couple to go to the circuit court and get on with the separation.

The woman told the court that “there have been some physical issues over the years”.

She said: “He grabbed me by the arms and put bruises on me. One time he actually urinated on me. He spat on my face when he was drunk.

“He has thrown appliances, he has smashed phones. He once punched a pony in the head and he said 'that is what you have to do to teach them'.” 

The woman said two grown up children have left the house “because they were aware that they were living in an abusive situation”.

Arising from the woman’s evidence during the course of the Safety Order application, her husband gave a sworn undertaking in court not to use or threaten to use any violence against her and the couple’s children.

Judge Gabbett said that on the basis of the sworn undertaking, he was happy to strike out the Safety Order application.

He said that if there was a breach of the sworn undertaking, the woman could re-enter the application.

Judge Gabbett said that the application made by the woman was “a very appropriate one".

He said "it is a very difficult thing to do."

The woman said that she waited a number of months to bring the proceedings under Domestic Violence legislation after a flashpoint at home “as it was a very, very difficult decision for me to make to try not to repair the relationship”.