A MOTHER BROKE down in court as she told a judge that she feared for her life after her partner threatened to kill her and “pour boiling water over your head” as she arrived at work in Dublin.

The man, in his mid-30s, was charged with breaching a protection order within a week of the woman obtaining it, Dublin District Court heard today.

He also had a dangerous driving charge and has not yet indicated a plea.

The man cannot be named due to the Domestic Violence Act reporting restrictions and “made no reply” to the charges.

A local garda told the court it was the third time the accused had broken the protection order, but Judge Dermot Dempsey noted there were no charges for the other two breaches mentioned.

The court heard the couple lived together and had a child.

The visibly upset woman came to give evidence at the bail hearing and said she and their child had to move into a refuge.

She maintained that on a date earlier this month, she had been parking her car at work when the accused appeared and “ran in front of me and tried to damage the window, pulled the door, and said ‘I’ll kill you’.”

She alleged he kept trying to damage the car window and told her ‘I’ll kill you, I’ll pour boiling water over your head, you robbed my house”. The woman alleged the man ran off when she began to record him.

“I’m afraid, I’m afraid, he’s going to kill me,” she said.

Asked how she felt about him getting bail, she paused and then replied, “He is threatening me; I’m scared, I’m so scared, I cannot breathe.”

She broke down again in the witness box.

The defence solicitor, Peter Keating, submitted that his client had the presumption of innocence.

However, he said the accused had said he could live at a different address and undertake not to contact her even through a third party.

He suggested bail conditions, “putting him under strict obligations not to breach”.

The woman agreed and said, “I just want him to leave me alone” and “I just want to feel safe, please”.

The defendant sat silently with his arms folded for most of the hearing but stood and spoke once to say “yes” to confirm he would not contact her.

Judge Dempsey ordered him to furnish gardaí with a new address within 24 hours, sign on daily at a garda station, and abide by the protection order.

The judge said there was to be no contact directly or indirectly by either party and warned the accused that he must go to the family courts to arrange child access.

The man nodded when asked if he understood the terms. Bail was set at €300, and he must face court again later this month.

The defence applied for legal aid, saying the accused “lost his job through this”.

“He’ll lose his liberty if there are any further alleged breaches”, replied Judge Dempsey.