Daughter put ‘through hell’ as father skipped assault hearing at Carlow District Court
A FATHER who forced his adult daughter to give evidence at his assault hearing then failed to turn up to hear it, prompted a judge to tell him “shame on you for putting your daughter through that”.
George Manley (51) Shepherdshill, Dunlavin near the Kildare/Wicklow border was before Carlow District Court for sentencing having been found guilty of assault on his wife which occurred on 24 June 2024.
Judge Geraldine Carthy heard that Mr Manley had entered a plea of not guilty, meaning the court had to proceed to a full hearing. He did not attend that hearing and a bench warrant was executed.
The injured party, the defendant’s wife, was present in court and, though a victim impact statement had been handed in on the last date, she wished to read her own statement aloud.
She told the court that after two decades of “an awful, unhappy marriage” she had sought a divorce, which led to the assault.
On that night “our lives changed”, she said, when, after “many threatening calls”, she locked herself in her bedroom and not long after, the defendant arrived at the house.
“We were advised to leave in the middle of the night,” she said. She was subsequently granted a one-week interim barring order.
She described his ongoing behaviour, saying “he comes home late almost every night and leaves the doors unlocked. He is in bed most of the day. He is loud and territorial and has failed to find any regular employment”.
This had led to “huge financial pressure”, she said.
The family had had to hide cash, lock bedroom doors and hide the car keys, she said.
“This is not an isolated event,” she said. “It is part of a pattern of behaviour.”
She said both she and the defendant now had new partners, and that she was thankful for the opportunity to give the statement because “life is very difficult with him still in the house”.
Solicitor Joe Farrell said a probation report had been prepared which referred to “a number of shortcomings with my client and some positives as well”, adding that “his version of events would be somewhat different in respect of alcohol”.
Sentencing, Judge Carthy said that in electing to fight the case Mr Manley had put his adult daughter “through hell when she had to give evidence in court”, and that, having made the matter go to a hearing, he “didn’t have the decency to walk through those doors and man up to hear her evidence”.
His daughter had been “completely traumatised”, she said.
“Shame on you for putting your daughter through that. You should have pleaded guilty. It beggars belief why you did what you did. You chose not to plead and not to show up. I cannot fathom it.”
The victim impact statement was “absolutely stark”, she said, adding that her “heart goes out” to the family.
The court noted from the probation report that the defendant had not come to any negative attention since and was considered at low risk of reoffending. He had a history of alcohol misuse but had family support and was deemed suitable for probation supervision, attendance at alcohol misuse support services and an intimate partner violence programme.
“I really struggle with this. I was very tempted to put you in custody but it wouldn’t serve you or your family. This family wants you to get better,” Judge Carthy said.
She imposed a five-month sentence, suspended entirely for 18 months on his own bond of €300, warning that if any of the conditions were breached, she would not hesitate to impose a custodial sentence.
