Judge apologises to domestic violence victim for “stupid legal system”

A judge in Galway has apologised to a victim of domestic violence for what he called "this stupid and ridiculous legal system".

Judge Brian O'Callaghan was speaking at a sentencing hearing and said no dispute should warrant the deferral of cases like this.

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has said he will meet the Law Society to discuss the dispute over the new legal aid payments system, which has led to widespread disruption in criminal courtshttps://t.co/C0YQxKTwbI

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The victim's former partner pleaded guilty to four charges of domestic violence last December and has been on bail and signing on at a Garda station in another county.

The court heard he pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to his partner in 2022.

He also admitted two counts of assault causing harm that same year and pleaded guilty to an offence of coercive control contrary to Section 39 of the Domestic Violence Act, between April and July 2022.

The victim who broke down in court described the "extra torture" of the delay.

RTE reports that she said she had developed a tremor from stress and anxiety as she had waited so long for this day.

She wants to begin healing and moving on with her life, the court heard.

The sentencing hearing is set for next Tuesday and said the deferral of this particular case was just wrong.

The judge said he would be very disappointed if this dispute continued into next week with "talk of three days strike action".

During the December hearing Judge O'Callaghan said that normally, given the seriousness of the offences, the man would be remanded in custody prior to sentencing.

However, he said the court could not ignore the fact that Castlerea Prison "was operating at 126% capacity" and there was no instruction to seek a remand in custody.