MAN ARRESTED AFTER KNIFE AT GRAN’S

A man who went to his grandmother’s house with a knife had his case adjourned at the district court last week.

David McDonnell, (29) whose address was given as 29 Chapel Street, Dundalk admitted, at an earlier hearing, to breaching a protection order on April 4, 5 and 7. Judge Hamill was told how shortly after 6pm on April 7, McDonnell went to the home of his grandmother, Maura. He was carrying a knife and ‘ behaving in a threatening manner’.

The Garda’s armed response unit attended and McDonnell was arrested. Gardai were told the defendant had breached the protection order on April 4 and the following day, had taken €150 from his grandmother’s purse.

He has previous convictions, including knife possession in 2005 and 2006. Solicitor Dermot Monahan said his client has lived with his grandmother since he was 15 and was diagnosed with schizophrenia three years ago but had been taking drugs ‘ that didn’t help his condition and exacerbated it’.

Mr Monahan said McDonnell ‘was at a bad place at this time as he was consuming drink and narcotics’. He moved out of his gran’s house and was living in the Simon Community. But he has been attending his GP and has returned to live with his grandmother. The case had been adjourned for a community service report, and Mr Monahan said McDonnell was not deemed to be not suitable, but the probation officer had recommended that he be placed on a 12 month probation bond. ‘He has ongoing mental health issues’, Mr Monahan said, but added McDonnell had been giving clean urine samples.

He said McDonnell has also paid compensation. ‘He is a young man with very complex issues and the fact that he’s giving clean samples shows he is going in the right direction’, the solicitor added. Judge Hamill said adjourned the case to January 27 for an updated report.