Donegal man who aggressively approached ex-partner outside court gets suspended sentence

A Donegal man who aggressively approached his former partner outside a courthouse has been given a suspended sentence.

The man, who is in his 40s, appeared before Glenties District Court.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a one-months suspended prison sentence.

He was charged with contravening a protection order in that he did verbally abuse the woman in an aggressive manner putting her in fear. The charge is contrary to section 33 (1) of the Domestic Violence Act, 2018.

The incident occurred on November 27, 2024 at Drumnasillagh, Glenties.

Inspector Aoife Curley told the court that the defendant approached the woman on multiple occasions outside Glenties District Court and caused her to be in fear. The court was told that the incident occurred just over three weeks after the protection order was granted.

Inspector Curley said the man was shouting aggressively at the woman and followed her to her car. The man was said to have clenched his fist at the women during the incident.

The man’s solicitor, Mr Declan McHugh, said that the incident occurred during the early stages of family law proceedings, which are still ongoing. Mr McHugh said that matters were “quite heated at that stage” and there had been “communication in the courtroom”.

“He would say that he was returning to his own car,” Mr McHugh said. “He should not have made contact and he accepts that. He should have been mindful of the protection order that was made. It was relayed to him what he could and couldn’t do.”

Mr McHugh said that the respective parties “are slowly making their way through the issues”, which are “ongoing and not straightforward”.

“He accepts that the behaviour was not called for,” Mr McHugh said, adding that his client was currently an unemployed father-of-two who has recently undertaken an education course.

Mr McHugh suggested that a donation rather than a fine could be issued by the court given that his client has no previous convictions.

Judge Emile Daly said a marker “needs to be drawn at this point”.

“This is a serious matter,” Judge Daly said. “There is a protection order in place and it is accepted that that was breached. That is not a light matter. I don’t want to complicate or raise the ante, but the reality is that the protection order is there.”

On the basis of there being no previous convictions, Judge Daly sentenced the man to one month in prison. The entirety of the sentence was suspended for four months and warned the man that Domestic Violence Act orders must be complied with.

Recognisance in the event of an appeal was fixed at the accused’s own bond of €150, nil cash.