Cork man sentenced to 10 months for ‘forensic level of torture’ against ex-wife and children

A middle-aged man practiced a forensic level of torture on his ex-wife and children and is now in prison for 10 months.

Judge Olann Kelleher addressed the domestic violence case in a closed-door hearing at the Cork District Court.

“This court encounters numerous marital breakdowns.

It causes emotional stress, but I have not come across anyone who was so forensic in his efforts to terrorize his ex-wife.

“This is his sixth conviction for breach of the Domestic Violence Law. This man continues to harass her. I fully understand the trauma caused. He has taken over the victim. He has faced the Gardaí, ”Judge Kelleher said.

Sergeant Pat Lyons said: “This man is terrorizing his family and seems to be disregarding court orders.” Frank Buttimer, a lawyer, said that while the defendant contested a previous case in which his jail terms were suspended, he was pleading guilty to the latter crime of violating a restraining order by putting his wife in fear.

Buttimer conceded that his behavior on the last offense was terrifying and “absolutely bizarre.” On the latest offense, he spent 90 minutes circling outside the family home in the early hours of the morning, taking pictures, looking around, and blowing air from the four tires of his wife’s car.

“I think he is going to continue to torment and torture me forever,” he said in a private hearing last week.

The complainant called gardaí who examined the CCTV coverage outside her home early in the morning of January 12.

The defendant was seen on video arriving outside the house just before 5 a.m. and leaving an hour and a half later, after coming and going several times in the intervening hour and a half. In the course of the morning he was seen crouching behind his wife’s car and letting air out of all four tires.

The woman said today in a victim impact statement: “He doesn’t feel the rules apply to him. It does not respect the law.

“He was more than 90 minutes in the house going in and out. Took photos of my car and new locks on the front door.

It was very upsetting to see him in a pretty crazy state of mind. The expression on his face (as captured on CCTV) still haunts me.

“I haven’t slept well. I’m having recurring nightmares where he broke into the house.

“I am very afraid of what will happen next. He is relentless and shows no regrets. I really think he enjoys terrorizing me and the kids.

“I need a break from all this torture,” he said in his victim impact statement.

The parties cannot be identified in the coverage of the case because it was dealt with in a closed-door hearing for failure to comply with a restraining order under the Domestic Violence Act. The complainant said she was upset to read details of the case in the media last week where again the parties were not identified.