Longford Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Connolly: “This was a very, very dangerous and foolish act that he engaged himself in."
Judge Kenneth Connolly: “This was a very, very dangerous and foolish act that he engaged himself in."
A man who arrived at his ex-partner’s parents’ house in a tractor and walked up and down their gate brandishing a running chainsaw and shouting has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Kieran McNally (34), of Greagh, Drumlish, Co Longford, appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Longford Circuit Court, where evidence was heard of how he threatened to kill his ex partner’s mother, and damaged her fence with the chainsaw.
He was also charged with criminal damage to the back of a Garda van, which he kicked “the living daylights out of”, causing €800 worth of damage.
Guilty pleas were entered to the two counts of criminal damage, with the threats to kill charge taken into consideration.
The court heard how Mr McNally rang his former partner’s father on March 27 of last year and requested the return of a television. Both his ex partner’s parents met Mr McNally with the television and noted his eyes were “bulging” out of his head and that he “didn’t look like himself”.
Moments after the return of the TV, Mr McNally rang his former partner’s mother and said there were “three lines of coke in the back of your car, now f**k off”.
The woman tried to engage him in conversation, but he hung up and, when she tried to ring him back, he didn’t answer. When he ultimately rang her back, Mr McNally told her he would “kill you, your brother and all your family”.
She blocked him then, but Mr McNally continued trying to call both her and her husband before arriving at the house in a Massey Ferguson tractor, which he exited with a chainsaw in his hand.
CCTV footage played in court showed Mr McNally walking up and down the front of the couple’s fence, brandishing the running chainsaw, Mr McNally shouted at the man inside to “come out and fight”.
Before leaving the property, he used the chainsaw to cut the fence, causing €200 worth of damage. Reparations were made for the damage, the court later heard.
When Gardaí were informed of the incident, they attended at Mr McNally’s house and, when he opened the door, he was “highly intoxicated”.
“He didn’t understand why we were there. He was off his head, judge,” said Garda Enda Kenny.
“When we arrived, he was sitting drinking cans. There was a 12 pack with four or five cans still in the pack and other cans around the room.
“He was compliant until he was put in the patrol van and then he started headbutting, shouldering and kicking the perspex on both sides of the van. He was abusive to us and said he’d headbutt us when we opened the van.”
When questioned by Gardaí, Mr McNally said he regretted what he did: “I wish I could take it back. I don’t remember having that many cans.”
He also said he didn’t remember ringing his former partner’s father, but “I believe it’s true. I don’t remember it but he’s not a liar”.
Counsel for the defence, Mr Kieran Collins BL told the court that his client was ten weeks sober - “an achievement for him”.
Judge Connolly, when passing judgement, said that Mr McNally is “a man of an age where he should have known better” than to brandish a running chainsaw at his former partner’s parents.
“This was a completely bizarre event where he travelled to his ex partner’s family home, armed with a chainsaw and terrorised the family by walking up and down and damaging the fence,” said Judge Connolly.
“He was revving the chainsaw in a crazy fashion, lifting it up in the air and revving it, which was terrifying for the people in the house. It was really unacceptable.
“Then when he was put in the holding cell, he went utterly berserk and kicked the perspex to the point that he broke it. The violence and aggression continued into the Garda station, but he has pleaded guilty.”
Alcohol, Judge Connolly said, is “no excuse for offending behaviour”, but it was accepted that Mr McNally was operating under the influence of intoxication.
“This was a very, very dangerous and foolish act that he engaged himself in,” he said.
Judge Connolly proceeded to sentence Mr McNally to three years in prison, suspending the sentence in its entirety for five years under a number of conditions, including that he enter a probation bond of 18 months and remain non-prescription drug free.
Mr McNally also had the sum of €200 in court, which he was ordered to pay to the Garda Benevolent Association.
