Mother praised for her ‘heart of gold’ by Kildare Judge
COMMENTS
The mother of a man aged in his early 30s who was subject to domestic violence order was praised by Judge Desmond Zaidan.
The case was heard at Naas District Court on Thursday, July 6, where the defendant was brought before the judge following a breach of the order.
It was heard that he had become angry and 'smashed up' plates and a door in her home.
He pleaded guilty to the offence.
Gardaí told Judge Zaidan that the man has previous convictions, but they are for road traffic matters.
The judge was also told by the man’s solicitor, Joe Coonan, that his client has underlying mental health issues, and has been taking anti-psychotic injections.
Mr Coonan and the man’s mother both added that his mental health difficulties were amplified by his cannabis usage.
When the mother was asked by Judge Zaidan if she would be 'endorsing' the prospect of legalising cannabis in Ireland, she said that she would not, given both her personal experience and experiences from when she worked in the prison services.
"The lawmakers should be listening to people like you," Judge Zaidan said, and recommended that she write a letter to the government detailing her experiences.
After the mother urged the judge not to send her son to prison, he replied that he would adjourn the case for sentencing, and told the man: "Your mother has a heart of gold."
The judge also told the man that he should quit using cannabis 'cold turkey', and asked him to think about his mother the next time he has the urge to smoke cannabis.
"I sincerely hope that there will be an improvement by then," he said, and also directed the man to apologise to his mother, which the man agreed to do.
The case will resume on a date in December.