Second chance for man who stood in couple's bedroom with knife

A man who stood at the bedroom door of a couple whilst holding a kitchen knife, was given a second chance at last week's Tullamore district court.

On November 14, 2021, Ronan Carton, (22) Tullamore Road, Kilbeggan, trespassed into the home of a couple living at Abbeybrook View, Kilbeggan.

At a previous court sitting, evidence was given that at 1.55am, a woman awoke to find a male standing in the doorway of her bedroom with what appeared to be a knife.

She woke her partner, he shouted at the defendant who left. The woman’s partner followed the defendant Ronan Carton into another house. He knocked on the front door of the house and Mr Carton’s mother answered. The defendant appeared at the end of the hallway.

Mr Carton was also charged with interfering with mechanically propelled vehicles.

At last week's court, Judge Andrew Cody said he had read Mr Carton's probation report in detail.

He also read a victim impact statement.

Barrister Sandra Dooner said Mr Carton had no previous convictions and had no explanation for what happened. He had consumed a lot of alcohol on the night of the offence. He had gone to the doctor the next day to see if there were other substances in his system. Ms Dooner said it had been devastating for the victims but also for the family of Mr Carton. He was working part time, earning €250 per week and had a letter from his employer. She said Mr Carton had brought €500 with him to court as a token of remorse.

Judge Cody said the incident had been very disturbing for the victims, to see someone standing at their bedroom door with a large kitchen knife which was taken from their own kitchen and with a baby in the next room.

Judge Cody said it was one of those difficult cases. On the one hand the injured party was awoken in the middle night with a man standing over their bed with a large knife. Then he said on the other hand we have a young man 22 years of age, who has been the victim of trauma in the past. He had engaged with the probation services and had written a letter of apology. He has given up alcohol. Judge Cody said the interference with vehicles pales into insignificance compared to the incident with the knife.

He said the offence carries a 12 month sentence and a fine of €5,000. He said an appropriate sentence would be three months in prison and between, €2,000 and €3,000 fine.

He said in these circumstances he was going to do something he had never done before and that was to defer passing a sentence of three months in prison and a fine of €1,000 for a period of six months.

This will be subject to certain conditions, the defendant will have to be of sober habits, refrain from drinking or purchasing alcohol or taking any regulated drugs without a prescription. He is not to commit any other offences including shouting at the gardai.

A restorative justice report will be prepared on him. He is to continue with counselling. He is to have no contact with the injured party.

If he adheres to all these conditions he will be left without a conviction, Judge Cody said.

The €500 Mr Carton brought to court was handed over to the gardai to pay to the injured parties and the case was put back to March 1, 2023.