Elaine Loughlin: Kathleen Funchion's case shows what coercive control really looks like — and why we need to listen
Kathleen Funchion described the lasting trauma of being in a relationship in which her ex-partner 'always had to control the narrative' and 'did everything in his power to continue this until the very end'. File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos
Gardaí, legal teams and defendants milled in and out of courtroom 1 as Judge Cephas Power made his way down a list of thefts, pub spats and public order cases. Behind the bare charges outlined, snippets of the turmoil and strife of some of those before the district court emerged.
Like the mother-of-two up on several shoplifting charges, who herself had been adopted and suffered sexual abuse in childhood before becoming addicted to medication she had been prescribed. The court heard that many of the items taken were basic necessities and was also told of the struggles of rearing a child with a severe disability.
