Sentenced to 18 months jail after barring order breaches and assault

A 28-year-old man from Meath was sentenced to 18 months in jail as a result of a series of breaches of a barring order taken out by his parents.

Judge Derek Cooney commented that it must be very difficult for parents to seek a barring order against their son, and was a last resort where all else failed.

The Judge also sentenced the defendant to a concurrent term of four months for an assault on a worker in a Navan bar.

The case was before Trim District Court for a victim impact statement from the bar worker and to finalise on Tuesday last.

Judge Cooney noted that the bar worker had to leave the job, and the premises raised the bar counter to prevent the recurrence of such incidences.

Defence barrister James O’Brien said the defendant had addiction issues, and was 12 weeks sober and drug free since he entered custody. He also had an underlying mental health difficulty. He was assessed as a moderate risk of re-offending by the probation service.

Dates read in court when the defendant committed the breaches of the barring order were in April, and it was outlined the assault causing harm took place on 26th April last. He was also charged with damaging Garda vehicles and cells in the garda station.

Judge Cooney pointed out vehicles had to be taken off the road resulting from the defendant’s “totally unacceptable behaviour” preventing Garda from attending other matters.

He remarked Mr O’Brien spoke very eloquently on the defendant’s behalf but rejected his plea to release the defendant under conditions.

Judge Cooney said the defendant was not being released that day and that he had no supporting evidence that the defendant suffered with mental health.

He imposed nine months prison terms on two of the barring order breaches.

He back- dated the sentences to May 19th last. He took all other charges into consideration, and fixed bail for the defendant to appeal.