Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 5647Domestic violence (assault) · 25 Dec 2023

Woman seeks Barring Order after alleging husband assaulted her and tried to flush her head down toilet

Between April and Christmas Day 2023, a woman alleges her husband hit her, pulled her by the hair, tried to flush her head down a toilet and, on Christmas Day, swung her around the room and banged her head into the ground while she was pregnant. Neither party is named in the reports, and no age or nationality is given for either. She later told the court she had sex with her husband on April 6, a day after obtaining an ex parte protection order against him. On 18 June 2024, at the Family Law Court, she sought a Barring Order to have her husband leave the family home, and Judge Alec Gabbett adjourned the case for mediation.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court18 Jun
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The woman alleges her husband assaulted her while she was pregnant.
  • In April 2023 the husband allegedly hit her in the face, smacked her shoulders and pulled her by the hair into the bathroom.
  • In April 2023 the husband allegedly tried to flush her head down a toilet.
  • On Christmas Day 2023 the husband allegedly swung her around the room and banged her head into the ground.
  • The woman says her husband kept pursuing her for sex and allegedly cut off her money if she did not behave as he wanted.
When
The woman confirmed under cross examination that she had sex with her husband on April 6, a day after obtaining an ex parte protection order against him.
Where
The alleged toilet incident happened at the family home.
In court
  • The woman is seeking a Barring Order requiring her husband to leave the family home so she can move back in.
  • Sources disagree on the protection order: the key facts say the husband was granted a temporary ex parte protection order against the woman, while the article says the woman sought a Domestic Violence Protection Order against the husband on an ex parte basis.
  • The woman has made domestic violence applications in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2019, 2020 and 2024.
  • On 18 June 2024 Judge Alec Gabbett adjourned the case, saying it was crying out for mediation, and described a volatile situation in the house since 2007.
Other details
The woman has recently left the family home and had given up her job to look after the family.
Charges
No arrest or criminal charge against the husband is reported in the sources.
14 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe woman alleged her husband assaulted her while she was pregnant (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatIn April 2023 the husband allegedly tried to flush her head down a toilet (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe husband allegedly hit her in the face and smacked her shoulders in April 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe husband allegedly pulled her by the hair into the bathroom (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatOn Christmas Day 2023 the husband allegedly swung her around the room and banged her head into the ground (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe woman confirmed she had sex with her husband on April 6, one day after obtaining a DVPO (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe woman said her husband kept pursuing her for sex (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe husband allegedly cut off her money if she did not behave as he wanted (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe woman had given up her job to look after the family (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe woman is seeking a Barring Order against her husband (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe husband was previously granted a temporary Protection Order against the woman on an ex parte basis (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe woman made domestic violence applications in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2019, 2020 and 2024 (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Alec Gabbett adjourned the case, saying it was crying out for mediation (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe judge described a volatile situation in the house since 2007 (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 18 Jun2024
    In courtirishmirror.ie, first report
    Woman alleges husband assaulted her and tried to flush her head down a toilet

    Reports on the Family Law Court hearing where the woman detailed multiple alleged assaults by her husband, including hitting, hair-pulling, and an attempt to flush her head down a toilet. The judge noted a 'War of the Roses' scenario and adjourned the case for mediation.

    victim, femalesuspect, male