'I am a man, this is embarrassing': Man weeps as he tells court his wife hit him

Gordon Deegan

A man wept in the witness box and said, “I am a man - this is embarrassing” after disclosing that his wife hit him at home.

At the Family Law Court, the man was giving evidence as part of an ex-parte application to obtain a domestic violence Protection Order against his wife.

He said that his partner struck him while he was in bed and also engages in name-calling.

Judge Alec Gabbett said that the man’s wife had got a domestic violence order against him before.

Judge Gabbett said that he was granting the man the Protection Order commenting that “the violence is concerning”.

After seeing the man weep in the witness box, Judge Gabbett said to him: “This is very normal. It is very stressful to you, and this is a stressful situation.”

The man said: “I am no father of the year, I am no husband of the year. I raise my voice and she classes it as domestic abuse.”

Judge Gabbett asked “why are you frightened of her?” and the man replied: “It is the name calling.”

He also alleged that the woman sporadically hits their children. He said: “She hits them with a belt.”

He said: “Once or twice it has happened. She shows her shoe-" and Judge Gabbett said “and they are gone”.

The man said his wife has taken herself and their children to a refuge, and Judge Gabbett said that he expected her to also to come to the district court for an application for her own Protection Order.

The man said that his children “have no business in a refuge when they have a home”.

On his application, he said: “I don’t want to do this. I really don’t, and if I don’t, I am leaving myself open.”

The other four applicants for Protection Orders before the court were all females, and Judge Gabbett granted the orders.

In one case, a woman said that her now ex-partner tried to break her teeth while the two were on holiday, stating “he tried to take them out”.

Judge Gabbett said: “He is just jealous of your teeth? Clearly, that was very frightening.”

The woman said that her ex has a criminal record and he has been in prison.

In another case, an elderly mother in ill health secured a Protection Order against her son. She said that has called her “an ungrateful, bitter, old hag”.

The woman said that she locks herself bedroom door at night and Judge Gabbett asked her “how are you going to deal with the next eruption?”

Judge Gabbett said that he would issue a barring order summons where she can apply for a barring order against her son.