Romanian national escapes jail term despite 'truly appalling behaviour' towards his partner

Having heard that Vladot Gabriel Gramada had repeatedly assaulted and bullied his partner, including punching her when she was breast-feeding their child, District Judge Nigel Broderick told the 27-year-old “there is every reason why you should go straight to prison”.

“It was truly appalling what you did to this victim,” said the judge, “not on one occasion but on many occasions.”

As a direct alternative to prison “and not without significant hesitation,” Judge Broderick said he was imposing an Enhanced Combination Order of 18 months probation and 100 hours of community service.

He warned Romanian national Gramada however, “you only get one chance – any slip ups, any missed appointments, anything, and you will be brought back to court immediately and you will go straight to prison”.

At an earlier hearing Gramada, from Slemish Court in Ballymena, entered guilty pleas to a total of 11 offences, committed over a time span between September 1 2023 and November 1 2024, including six charges of criminal damage, two counts of common assault and single charges of having a weapon with intent to cause damage, making threats to kill and a “domestic abuse offence”.

In court last Tuesday, a prosecuting lawyer outlined how the victim first contacted police in November last year to report that throughout her 18-month relationship with Gramada, he “was controlling, kept taking her phone to check through it”.

In addition, the victim was also subjected to repeated threats and assaults until she reported the abuse.

She told officers that the day beforehand, she had been getting the baby ready for a bath when Gramada “demanded that she make him food”.

Initially, she told him to go and make something himself as she was busy with the baby but she relented and made him a salad.

When she brought it to him, however, Gramada complained that it was not good enough and “he lost his temper, threw the salad bowl and the bowl breaks,” said the lawyer, adding that the baby was in the room at the time.

The day before that, the court heard, the victim had been on the bed with the baby, “letting him play to tire himself out” before bed.

“She was on the phone when the defendant came in and accused her of texting other men instead of keeping an eye to the child,” said the prosecutor.

There was an argument and as she lay with the baby, holding her arm over to protect him, Gramada “repeatedly punched her to the leg and knee” and when she reached down to try to block his blows, “he started to punch her hand”.

Gramada again threatened her, “I’m going to kill you” as he punched her to the legs, standing over her in a threatening stance as she pleaded with him to leave.

Lodging a plea in mitigation, defence counsel Connell Trainor immediately conceded that “it’s a truly appalling set of facts – the custodial threshold is well and truly crossed”.

He submitted, however, that Gramada was due credit for his guilty pleas, thereby saving the victim from having to relive her ordeals in the witness box.

Mr Trainor said the pre-sentence report from the Probation Board suggested that Gramada would benefit from an Enhanced Combination Order.

In addition Judge Broderick also imposed a two-year restraining order in favour of the victim.