Police break up custody dispute
Police were called to a Pembroke guest house yesterday, after management reported an altercation between a man and one of their guests.The custody dispute over a small child resulted in an almost two-hour wait while police remained inside with the mother and child, along with Sheelagh Cooper from the Coalition for the Protection of Children.The man outside, who was not charged in connection with the incident, claimed that the estranged mother of his child had violated a court order, and admitted to tracking her to the guest house by following Ms Cooper’s car earlier that day. He said he had also attempted to pick up the child, at which point the mother screamed and police were called.Management at the guest house confirmed that Ms Cooper had been on contact with them on Tuesday, and that they had offered a room for two people for one night.They said they had called police after fearing that an assault was taking place.Shortly after 2pm, police were able to remove the child from the rear of the guest house, at which point the man outside drove away, in what appeared to be an attempt to follow the unmarked vehicle.A police spokesman said: “At approximately 12.10pm, police responded to a report of a paternity issue at an apartment guest house.“Upon their arrival, police ascertained that two persons were engaged in a protracted domestic dispute.“As a result, the child was taken by police to a relevant Government agency. The matter is to be reviewed, and will go before the local courts. As this matter revolves around a minor, we are very limited as to the information and the identity of the child.”