A judge has granted a woman a protection order after she showed him a video of her brother placing a carpet knife on a bible in a church and threatening to “slaughter her” if she proceeds to marry her fiance there.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett told the woman she needs to go to An Garda Síochána with the video her brother uploaded to a social media platform.
“He has been on social media this morning in the church where I am supposed to get married and he has put a carpet knife on the bible,” the woman said.
The woman handed her mobile phone to the judge from the witness box to show him the video of her brother in the church.
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He played the video in court and the man could be heard saying: “I swear on that bible, and I swear on my children, I am cutting lumps out of you – you will not get married inside in this church.”
He goes on: “See this church? You will not be getting married in it because I will come and slaughter you and whoever wants to stand in front of you, I will slaughter them.”
The judge told the woman she may also need to apply for a restraining order against her brother. He said the circumstances in which the woman was seeking the domestic violence protection order “are very unusual”.
The woman said she lives with her brother in the family home. She said as she was coming to court, her brother passed her in a car and was banging on the vehicle’s window.
The woman said her wedding is due to take place later this year.
The judge said it appeared her brother was “threatening you with violence because you are getting married to someone he doesn’t like”. The woman replied that her brother does not know her fiance.
The woman secured a protection order without the other side present in court and the judge adjourned the hearing of the case to June, where the brother can contest or consent to the making of a safety order.
