Man assaulted partner because his dinner wasn’t ready

The days when a man came home expecting to have his dinner on the table were long gone in Ireland, Galway District Court was told.

Judge Mary Fahy made the comment after hearing evidence in the case of a man who broke a safety order and assaulted his wife when he came home drunk to find his dinner wasn’t ready.

Sergiu Perciun of Meadow Grove, Ballybane pleaded guilty to being in breach of the safety order and to assaulting his now ex-partner at that address on April 10 last year.

Another assault on a minor was withdrawn after the injured party told Gardaí she didn’t want to pursue the matter.

The Court heard evidence that the 40-year-old Moldovan national had come home drunk and abusive when his dinner wasn’t on the table. As he threw his arms in the air to make his point, he hit his partner in the face.

The Court heard Perciun was deeply remorseful and accepted that he had consumed too much alcohol on the day.

His ex-partner gave evidence that the marriage had broken down and that he was no longer living at home. Through her daughter, acting as interpreter, she said she had been in a bad mood that day when she called the Gardaí. She didn’t wish him to be sent to prison, but she didn’t want him coming to her house.

Judge Fahy said she wasn’t surprised the marriage had failed as “the days are long gone when a man can come home demanding his dinner – even for a sober man, it was never acceptable.”

In defence, it was heard that he didn’t drink anymore. When Judge Fahy heard he was earning €600 a week, she expressed surprise that another Judge had granted him free legal aid and reminded him that he would indeed be paying his own legal fees as his income put him over the threshold to be eligible for it.

Judge Fahy imposed a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years on his own bond of €300 on condition that he be of good behaviour and stay away from the complainant and her property.

She warned him that being in breach of a safety order was a serious issue as it was a breach of a court order. Judge Fahy imposed a concurrent two-month prison sentence for the assault, also suspended for two years.