Man accused of assaulting his partner and her daughter in Offaly

A man appeared in court in Portlaoise accused of assaulting his partner and her daughter at a property in Offaly.

The man (35), who has an Offaly address, is accused of two counts of assault causing harm to a woman at an address in an Offaly town and a third assault on August 19, 2025. He is further accused of assault at the same location between August 13 and 14 and assault at a separate address in Offaly on July 23 and again on April 30.

Gardaí Sergeant Coss said the defendant made no reply to any of the charges. She objected to bail due to the seriousness of the allegations and her concerns that he mightn’t return to court.

She said the partner of the accused had made the complaint and had identified the man. The woman had alleged that the man had thrown a bike at her, punched her in the chest and pushed her down and headbutted her.

The woman had told Sgt Coss that the man “was very drunk and threatened to kill them all”. She said the woman had accused the man of “slapping her while she was sleeping” and grabbing her “by the neck” and had threatened to kill her and her children.

Sgt Coss said the woman alleged the defendant “was mumbling and shouting that he was going to stab them all about 20 times.” She said the woman also claimed the man had threatened to set fire to the house. She said there was “an extremely high” possibility of witnesses being put at risk if the man gets bail as he lives with the woman.

“He has threatened her several times that he would stab her and her children,” said Sgt Coss. She said the three children who are aged 16 and under had witnessed the alleged assault on August 19. “They are terrified,” she said.

Under questioning, Sgt Coss said the woman and children had been outside the property when gardai arrived on August 19. She said the woman was bleeding and had a large cut on her nose and bruising on her neck. The eldest daughter also had finger prints around her neck. “There may be further more serious charges,” she said.

Sgt Coss said the accused was not the father of any of the children and he had met the woman a year previously.

David Nugent BL said there were no charges in relation to any threats. He said the allegations of earlier assaults were only made after the incident on August 19.

Sgt Coss said the DPP would have to give a direction in relation to any new charges.

Mr Nugent asked if the defendant had caused any issue when gardaí arrived. Sgt Coss said there was no issue.

“He opened the front door and he said come in. There was a smell of drink off him but he didn’t appear to be very drunk,” she said.

She also said the man had made admissions in relation to the charges and she acknowledged that he doesn’t speak English.

Mr Nugent said the court could impose bail conditions which would alleviate concerns the alleged injured party has. He suggested the man stay out of the town where the woman lives.

In her evidence, the woman who spoke through an interpreter, said it had been a very stressful time for her and her children and they were “extremely scared” of the man.

“If my client was ordered to stay away from her and her children would that make her feel safer,” asked Mr Nugent.

“Yes I would feel safe. I don’t want anything bad for him but I would like him to be far from me and my children,” she said.

Mr Nugent said his client could provide another address and would agree to abide by any conditions set down by the court.

Judge Patricia Cronin said that while the evidence is strong the man is entitled to the presumption of innocence and she wasn’t going to refuse bail. She said the concerns raised could be addressed by imposing strict bail conditions.

The conditions included an exclusion covering a five kilometre radius around the town where the offence is alleged to have occurred. She also requested an independent surety of €1,500 and asked that the man provide a new address, a phone number, surrender his passport and that he sign on at a garda station daily.

Judge Cronin remanded the man in custody with consent to bail and adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court on August 28. She granted legal aid and certified for a Romanian interpreter on the next date.