A MAN jailed for producing a slash hook outside a community centre in Limerick told Gardaí he was using it to protect his partner and child who were allegedly being threatened by a relative.
Patrick Ward (33), with an address at Cluain Ard, Ballybrit, County Galway, pleaded guilty at Limerick District Court to one count of producing a slash hook, capable of inflicting serious injury, during the course of a dispute in a manner likely to intimidate another person, at Link Road in Moyross in Limerick City on June 10, 2021.
Mr Ward, who the court heard had 60 previous convictions, including for assault causing harm, violent disorder, aggravated burglary, obstructing Gardaí, public order, and road traffic offences, was jailed for eight weeks by Judge Patricia Harney.
Mr Ward’s solicitor, Tom Kiely of Kiely McCarthy Solicitors, told Judge Harney that Gardaí accepted that Ward received a “distressed” phone call from his partner on the date in question.
Mr Kiely said there was a “background of threats against Mr Ward” and that his partner and child on the day were “set upon” by a close relative of the woman.
Mr Kiely said Ward “intended to protect his partner and child” and so armed himself with a slash hook and drove to them.
The solicitor said “rocks were thrown at Mr Ward’s car” and that he encountered people armed with golf clubs and bats.
The incident was captured on CCTV which showed Mr Ward getting out of his car and concealing a slash hook under his jacket.
Mr Kiely said that, at the scene, Ward “showed others the blade” before he got back into his car and drove away with his partner and child.
“Mr Ward accepted he had it (the slash hook); what he did was not reasonable; there were no injuries,” Mr Kiely told the court.
Gardaí agreed with Mr Kiely there had been an ongoing dispute between Ward and the other parties.
Judge Harney noted that the incident occurred in a “public place with people wandering around”.
Jailing Mr Ward, and describing his actions as “appalling carry on”, Judge Harney commented: “If that’s the way they treat their own family members…”
Gardaí informed the judge that Mr Ward’s slash hook conviction triggered an order of the Galway Circuit Criminal Court concerning a suspended a four and half year sentence on Ward after he was convicted of a charge of violent disorder in 2019.
She remanded Ward in custody to appear before Galway Circuit Criminal Court for activation of the sentence.