A MAN went “ballistic” after his former partner told him he may not be the father of their son, naming two other men who may have fathered the child, a court has heard.
At Ennis District Court, solicitor Shiofra Hassett said her client “did not act properly and puts his hands up” after breaching a domestic violence safety order against his former partner.
Sergeant John Burke told the court the man’s actions caused the woman fear after he phoned her 22 times in one day and followed her on a motorway.
Judge Alec Gabbett told the man to “dial the behaviour back, otherwise you will end up on prison. You need to be extremely careful.”
Ms Hassett said the couple appeared at a family law day earlier in June where the man, representing himself, consented to a three-year safety order.
She said that “all of this erupted when my client said that his former partner told him that he was not the father of the child and named two individuals who, she says, could be the father”.
“He went ballistic,” Judge Gabbett replied.
“He went ballistic and did not act property and puts his hands up. He absolutely erupted,” Ms Hassett told the court.
“He was behaving completely irrationally. This is a child he has acted as father to.”
Judge Gabbett said that the woman will no longer receive maintenance payments for the child from the man if he is found not to be father.
“He pays significant maintenance,” Ms Hassett added.
Ms Hassett said the question of paternity has been put in her client’s mind “and he has instructed a solicitor to bring an application returnable in the first week of July in Limerick to seek a DNA test”.
Judge Gabbett commented: “It is a much loved child.”
From the body of the court, the man said: “I asked her for a DNA test and she said she wasn’t going ahead with it and that is why I am seeking a court order.”
Ms Hassett said that her client has always been very involved in child’s life, and the couple have a co-parenting arrangement.
“He let himself down,” she said.
Judge Gabbett said that “they are not the worst breaches”, noting that they didn’t involve an assault.
He said that the most frightening aspect of the case was “the motorway chase”.
“Clearly you have a great temper – you take off,” he told the man.
The man responded that he was undergoing counselling and taking medication.
Judge Gabbett adjourned the case to September 24 for the preparation of a probation report on the accused.
