Father pleads guilty to harassment charges as defence cites mental health struggles

A 41-year-old man pleaded guilty to charges linked to incidents that took place in December, with his defence telling the court his actions were driven by mental health struggles and the emotional impact of being separated from his daughter.

The case was heard this week, with defence lawyer Yanika Barbara Sant outlining the background to a long and bitter separation between the accused and his former partner, with whom he shares a child. The couple were in a relationship between 2019 and 2024.

The court heard that the woman reported her former partner to the Domestic Violence Unit together with her current partner. She described incidents in which the accused allegedly went to her residence late at night and knocked on her door, as well as another occasion when he went to the child’s school in an attempt to see his daughter.

One of the incidents occurred on 16 December, when the accused went to the school and allegedly tried to see how he could take his daughter. Police were called to the scene at the mother’s request and escorted her to her car, ordering the accused to leave the area.

The defence did not contest the facts but focused on the accused’s personal circumstances. Sant told the court the man is unemployed and suffering from mental health issues, which she said are linked to the breakdown of contact with his daughter.

According to the defence, the accused had not seen his child for around six months, apart from a brief encounter in December when the girl opened a Christmas present. The lawyer said the child had previously spent weekends with her father, a routine that had abruptly stopped.

Sant argued that her client’s primary concern was maintaining contact with his daughter. She told the court the accused did not file complaints against the mother despite claiming she had threatened to “destroy” him, insisting that he only wanted to see his child.

The court handed down a two-year probation order and a two-year treatment order. A restraining order was also imposed, but the court specified that it should not affect the accused’s access to his daughter. He was additionally fined €500, to be paid within two months.