Mother tells court her son ‘needs to go to jail’ after threats to smash up home

"I’m afraid of him dying on the street. He hasn’t been off drugs for a long time. He needs to go away. I’m happy I would know where he is (in prison).”

The defendant had also instructed his solicitor to ask the judge to put him into custody as he was “doing badly at the moment”.

The man pleaded guilty to all charges before the court which included breaches of orders his mother took out when he threatened to smash up her home.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th

Evidence was given that at 6.30pm on March 18 last he arrived at the house and broke ornaments.

On the following June 17 at 10.42pm at another location in Dundalk, armed gardaí responded to an incident where there was an aggressive male in a house threatening to smash windows.

He was directed to get on the ground before being arrested. He was “extremely intoxicated”.

The next day at 12.23pm at Market Square gardaí saw the defendant take a sharply pointed blade from his trousers and discard it before fleeing.

He was arrested later that day for a separate offence of being intoxicated in public at The Crescent.

There were 54 previous convictions.

A solicitor said that the accused was homeless. He was addicted to tablets, cocaine and alcohol.

He wanted to go into custody for the help he might get there.

Judge Nicola Andrews said that the man had been given numerous chances by the court.

Concurrent six-month sentences were imposed for the knife and Section 33 Domestic Violence Act (DVA) charges.

Other charges were taken into consideration along with two summonses for possession of small amounts of Alprazolam and cannabis respectively.

When the defendant’s mother asked if he would get help, the judge directed that he receive medical treatment in custody.

Legal aid was granted.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme