Kildare court shields cancer patient from abusive son

A woman undergoing chemotherapy obtained a protection order against her adult son, who she accused of stealing €10,000 from a vulnerable houseguest and subjecting her to verbal abuse in public.

Kildare court shields cancer patient from abusive son

A judge has granted an interim protection order to a mother battling cancer, shielding her from an adult son she says defrauded a disabled houseguest and subjected her to cruel public humiliation.

Appearing at Naas District Court accompanied by a support worker from Teach Tearmainn, the woman told Judge Desmond Zaidan that she is taking five chemotherapy tablets each day for an illness doctors have told her is treatable but cannot be cured. She appeared visibly shaken throughout the proceedings.

She explained that her son, who has bipolar disorder, has developed a destructive gambling habit centred on internet betting platforms, particularly roulette and horse racing. According to her testimony, he convinced an autistic and vulnerable man who had recently arrived from abroad to move into the family home, then stripped the individual of €10,000 by pretending the cash was needed to launch a music career with a band.

The mother's testimony painted a picture of escalating intimidation inside the household. She said she is forced to lock her bedroom door at night because her son forces his way in to demand cigarettes. She also told the court that her other children have stopped visiting entirely, and that her daughter has made a protection order a condition for allowing her to look after her grandchild.

One especially disturbing incident she described took place in a local supermarket, where she alleged her son urged her to take her own life while members of the public looked on.

The woman also disclosed a painful family history: she secured a protection order against her former husband seven years ago, and now this same son has encouraged his father to re-enter her life against her will.

Judge Zaidan told the woman she had "been to hell and back" before granting the interim order and directing gardaí to serve the papers. He scheduled a full hearing in Athy for 14 July, suggesting at that stage he would probably make the protection permanent. He also clarified that once the order is active, the son would be trespassing if he enters the property uninvited.

Source: Kildare Nationalist

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