Man who breaches protection order multiple time appears at Kildare court

A MAN who has previously served a three-year jail sentence for raping his wife was brought back to Naas District Court for the breach of a protection order against him.

The breach occurred after the man approached his daughter in the street while under protection order, which was the second alleged time the order had been broken.

Solicitor Cairbre Finan, who represented the man, informed the court the order was for three years, was taken out in 2023 and that he had served a three-year sentence.

“I remember this. Alleged sexual assault on his wife?” said Judge Desmond Zaidan.

“That’s right,” said Mr Finan, who then added the background to the present situation.

“This lady’s mum was in (a local town) with the estranged couple’s daughter and the man spoke to his daughter.” 

While the incident was termed a “technical breach” of the protection order, Judge Zaidan could not ignore the previous history attached to the man.

He said: “He’s presumed innocent with a technical breach, but you need to look at the technical breach in the wider picture.” 

“This is not a standalone allegation,” he reminded Mr Finan.

Judge Zaidan reminded the man of the terms of the order, and said: “You can’t communicate with a dependent ... I warned him in private. I understand he wants to access his daughter, but you have to do it through your lawyers, amen!"

The man responded: “Since she was a baby, I have not seen my daughter.”

Mr Finan told the court: “I have instructions to plead guilty.”

“Do you want me to go for sentencing today?” asked the judge.

“Not today,” said Mr Finan, who added that his client had a first appointment with his probation officer and a social worker in years to begin possible access.

The man was placed on continuing bail with instructions to come back to the court on 22 May for sentencing. Before this was announced, the judge turned to the accused man’s ex-wife and asked to speak to her in the interim: “I need to hear how this has affected you."