A 30-year-old man was jailed for four months for putting his ex-partner in fear by sending her WhatsApp texts calling her “a rat, a knack and a dirty, fat traveller”.
Judge Mary Dorgan said to the man at Cork District Court:
“It is totally inappropriate to call the mother of your child these names in these circumstances. I expect more respect and decency than calling the mother of your child those horrible words. You need to think about your behaviour long and hard.”
The accused man pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching a safety order by putting the woman in fear.
Sergeant John Dineen said at an in camera hearing of Cork District Court that the injured party contacted gardaí in relation to the matter when she received WhatsApp messages from her former partner. Sgt Dineen said the accused man had previous convictions, including counts for previously breaching a safety order.
The defendant confirmed during his appearance by video link from prison that those breaches were in respect of the same woman.
Judge Dorgan said:
“I am taken aback to see this was his fourth conviction for a breach of the safety order.”
Solicitor Frank Buttimer said the breach was verbal in nature and that the defendant was pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.
The offensive message was sent at 9.30pm on August 7. Judge Dorgan imposed the four-month prison sentence.