A Co Armagh man who assaulted his neighbour when he was confronted about tampering with vehicles has been given six months to clean up his act.
Jonathan Brady, of Mourneview, Mowhan, was told by District Judge Anne Marshall that he would be sentenced in September to give him a chance to engage with probation and community service.
The 30-year-old, whose case was heard at Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry Courthouse on Tuesday, is charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, common assault and two counts of tampering with a motor vehicle.
The court heard on Friday, October 20 last year, police received a report that the defendant was on drugs and tampering with the vehicles. On arrival, police spoke with a number of residents who had observed this.
The reporting person had gone outside and was approached by the defendant, who was shouting profanity at him but “not making sense whatsoever”. He told Brady to stay away from his van, before Brady approached him and punched him. He then attempted to kick the reporting person but fell over.
Brady then went to his own garden and returned with a large plank of timber, telling the reporting person what he was going to do to him. He then walked back and forward between his garden and the road before throwing the timber over the neighbour’s fence.
Police entered the defendant’s address and observed him lying on a mattress on the floor, “appearing heavily under the influence” of some form of drugs. He did not cooperate and was placed in handcuffs.
On hearing the facts, District Judge Anne Marshall noted the incident had occurred two months after the defendant received a suspended sentence.
Reading the statements of the complainant, she said: “This is a neighbour and his children are coming in in hysterics saying the bad man is outside. It’s terrifying for the young children who live in the vicinity of all this.”
However, given “very recent” positive indications by the defendant, she opted to defer sentencing for six months, “not without some degree of hesitation”.
Adjourning sentencing to September 24, she said the defendant must engage with community mental health and addiction services, engage with probation and community service orders and commit no new offences.
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