Grandmother secures interim barring order against granddaughter

The woman’s mother also secured an interim barring order against her while her father got a protection order against her

Judge Joanne Carroll granted the grandmother an interim barring order on an ex parte basis at Dublin District Family Court on Friday. Photograph: Graham Hughes/Photocall Ireland
Judge Joanne Carroll granted the grandmother an interim barring order on an ex parte basis at Dublin District Family Court on Friday. Photograph: Graham Hughes/Photocall Ireland

A grandmother has secured an interim barring order against her adult granddaughter after a court was told the woman became “very violent” in recent days.

The woman’s mother also secured an interim barring order against her while her father got a protection order against her.

Dublin District Family Court heard on Friday that the woman, who was not present in court, suffers with mental health issues, has been taking drugs and also has a young child.

The woman’s grandmother told the court that she had become “very violent” in recent days and was throwing things, including candles in glass jars.

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She said her granddaughter was later outside “banging” and “damaging” neighbours’ cars and also struck her father with a piece of broken glass wrapped in a sock and that he had to go to hospital for his injuries.

The grandmother said she and the family were concerned that the woman, who had been living with her, would come back to the home when the child was there and that “we can’t take a chance”.

Judge Joanne Carroll granted the grandmother an interim barring order on an ex parte (one side represented only) basis, which excludes her granddaughter from her home for eight days, and from watching or being near it. A full hearing was set for a date later this month.

The woman’s mother said she was afraid her daughter would come to her house if she was barred from her grandmother’s home and that she didn’t “want her anywhere near me”.

The woman’s father told the court that he would like his daughter to go to get “proper help” for her addiction problems and that “whatever she took, she just went crazy”.

Judge Carroll granted the woman’s mother an interim barring order, and her father a protection order against her. A protection order prohibits the woman from using or threatening to use violence.

In a separate case, a woman secured a protection order against her former boyfriend after she told the court he tried to strangle her.

The woman told the court that the man, who was not present in court, had turned up at her home drunk one night and was banging down the door. She said the man ran up the stairs and started physically attacking her.

The woman said he had tried to strangle her and her arms were covered in bruises as a result of the attack. The woman said her former boyfriend had possibly taken drugs and that one of her step-parents was also injured during the incident.

“He just saw red,” she said.

The woman said this was the first time the man had ever been physically aggressive towards her and that when he was sober she did not believe he would attack her.

“You just never see yourself in these situations,” the woman added.

Judge Carroll granted the woman a protection order.

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns is a reporter for The Irish Times