'Tried to choke ex-partner with a phone charger'

A man tried to choke his ex-partner with a phone charger, it was claimed at a Naas District Court sitting.

The man was being prosecuted for assault on May 27.

Gda Gráinne Phelan told the court that the pair had broken up and he went to where they used to live and then to a neighbour's property where his partner had gone.

He tried to choke his ex-partner but she did not need medical attention.

The garda said the woman has children and the man had been asked not to return to that address.

The woman was in court and was distressed at times.

She claimed that “this has been going on for eight years” and she claimed that he had dragged one of the younger children.

She said if the defendant remains free she will have to leave the country. She said she had helped him for eight years and her mother has nightmares about her death and the death of her children.

She said the man had been in treatment for addiction four times.

She said to Judge Desmond Zaidan “if he is released, is there somewhere you can send me ?”

The defendant told the court “the two of us are toxic together” adding “I smoke weed, she smokes weed.”

He also claimed she had hit him with a phone and “split me open.” He added he wants to go for addiction treatment to Coolmine.

Solicitor Tim Kennelly said the defendant had been in custody for three weeks because he was unable to get an independent surety to secure bail.

He asked for the bail terms to be reconsidered.

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He said the requirement for a surety was tantamount to a refusal of bail “because he can’t get it.”

Mr Kennelly said he would stay out of County Kildare. He said the incident arose because the defendant was to have come back from a shop with baby food.

Judge Zaidan remanded the defendant in custody with consent to bail and varied the bail conditions.