'I'm distraught because I haven't seen my son in five months' man tells Kildare court

A man told Naas District Court he is distraught because he hadn’t seen his son in five months.

The man also claimed that his son has missed 23 days in school.

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He blamed his ex-partner, who also appeared in court for not seeing the child.

“I’m emotionally distraught because I don’t have him in my life," he told the court, his voice breaking at times.

He told Judge John Brennan that  previously he had the children for three to four days a week and an access order had been granted previously.

The man’s partner said he behaves aggressively and has shouted horrible things at her adding “he attacked me." 

She claimed she had dropped previous charges but now she is worried about her safety. The woman also said he is friendly with a drug dealer. The man countered that he does not sell drugs and has a new girlfriend.

He claimed that the gardaí had "done a welfare check on my house” and were satisfied with this.

The man said the woman had claimed that a school had claimed there was a smell of cannabis off the child’s bag.

Judge Brennan said that the man should have access between 11am and 5pm on Saturdays. He added the child should be picked up and brought back. He said this would be best done by grandparents and said the partners are to communicate in a polite manner.