Court hears how man in the Midlands allegedly assaulted father, sister and uncle

A Longford man has appeared in court charged with breaching a barring order by entering the family home before assaulting both his father and sister on two separate occasions.

The 30-year-old man, who cannot be identified as the case was filed before last week's sitting of Longford District Court under Section 33 of the Domestic Violence Act.

The defendant, stayed silent throughout the duration of last week's hearing before Judge Bernadette Owens.

The court heard details of how the man called to a property on November 17 and knocked at the door despite a barring order having been put in place two months previously.

The accused man's father allegedly opened the door and without warning, punched his victim in the face.

A doctor's report together with photographs illustrating apparent bruising to the man's face was handed into Judge Owens.

Six days later, it was alleged the accused returned to the same location where he spoke to his younger sister and asked to speak with her in a bedroom.

Moments later, the accused man, in a similar fashion to the previous alleged assault on his father, suddenly struck the young woman in the face.

In a separate incident on the same day, the accused allegedly called to his uncle's home and entered the kitchen area before punching the man, causing him to fall to the floor, leaving him bleeding from the lip and nose.

Defence solicitor Frank Gearty said he had received 'disclosure', or the release of all statements relevant to the case.

He said he spoke with his client by telephone the previous Friday, saying how the Longford man had been left “shocked” by the case file's contents.

He requested a short adjournment to allow him obtain the legal opinion of counsel as to whether his client would be tabling a guilty or not guilty plea by virtue of diminished responsibility or insanity.

Mr Gearty said on that basis his client did require a period of time to prepare a plea, adding there would be no application for bail at present.

Mr Gearty also explained how the man had suffered a bereavement over the festive period.

Judge Owens remanded the accused in continuing custody to a sitting of Longford District Court on January 24.