A SON who turned his mother’s life “upside down” threatening and insulting her and demanding to be let into her home while being prevented by a barring order has been jailed for seven months.
Limerick District Court heard that Gardaà were called to a house in Limerick City on September 25, where it was claimed that a 23-year-old man was banging on the door demanding to be let in.
In a statement, the woman said the man is her son, but she had a court order compelling him to stay away.
She said the 23-year-old was banging on the door at 4.44am. Gardaà arrived and, while he had left the scene, he was arrested shortly after.
On November 11, Gardaà were called to the same house, telling the court that the man called the woman “a smell-bag and a handicap. He threatened to throw a brick through the window.”
“He was banging on the windows of the house and he threw his mobile phone at the window,” Judge Valerie Corcoran was told.
In a victim impact statement, which was read to the court, the mother said that she is “a nervous wreck. I have terrible anxiety – my world has been turned upside down.”
The court heard that the man was on bail on two occasions when the breaches of the court order happened.
Judge Corcoran heard that the accused has an addiction problem after living and working in London for a time, where he lost his job and a relative of a close friend took their own lives.
The court heard that the man was on occasion welcome in his mother’s house, but not when he was under the influence.
“He has been engaging with the Homeless Action Team and probation as well as PALS, a service on the Dock Road. He has been trying to get sorted with accommodation but that is difficult,” the court was told.
Judge Corcoran said that “his actions have terrorised his mother. Calling late at night and early in the morning. He’s not dealing with his issues.”
The judge Jailed him for a total of seven months in jail and set bail to his own bond of €300 with an independent surety of €600.
– Court Reporting Scheme