Wicklow man who breached a protection order gets suspended sentence
The Wicklow PeopleA father has avoided jail after pleading guilty to breaching a protection order taken out by his former partner.
A man who cannot be named for legal reasons appeared at an in-camera family law sitting at Arklow District Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to breaching a protection order.
The court heard that a probation report was available and was described as “extremely positive”. Solicitor for the defendant, Padraig Hyland, told the court that the Probation Service had “rightly flagged” that his client has previous convictions, for breaching a protection order taken out by his ex-wife.
Since the breakdown of the marriage, the defendant had become heavily addicted to cocaine but has since engaged with services to address his addiction. The court heard the father of three is now working full-time.
A letter was handed into court from his ex-partner stating that she did not want him to receive a custodial sentence. Mr Hyland said his client now has full visitation rights to his children and “is even invited to his ex-partner’s house for Christmas dinner”.
Judge David Kennedy remarked that “it would be extremely difficult to tell your children that their dad is going to prison”.
Judge Kennedy imposed a 10-month prison sentence but suspended it in its entirety for a period of two years.