Co Kildare brothers get prison sentence for attack on father

A Co Kildare man has been sentenced to the maximum two years sentence at Naas District Court, for threatening to kill or harm his father, with his brother also being sentenced for producing a hatchet during the dispute.

The Monasterevin brothers appeared in court, charged with assault, production of articles during a dispute, criminal damage and threatening to kill or cause serious harm, at Drogheda Row, Monasterevin, on April 11, 2017.

In court, Garda Daniel O'Shea outlined how one of the accused is understood to have Autism and was influenced by his brother, in the attack against their father.

Evidence was heard that alcohol and drugs had been consumed by the accused.

In court, their father said in a sworn testimony that he did not want his sons to remain in prison and that he would offer them employment.

He said: "This is the downfall of drugs, there was no laceration to my skin.  I am asking to give them a chance."

The  father told the court how he is 'upset about what happened.'

He said: "I don't want them to live with me."

Defence Timmy Kennelly outlined how one of the accused was a heroin addict.

The accused gave evidence that he can't remember what happened.

He said: "I have three boys, I am sorry about this."

In court, the other accused who has Autism and ADHD, outlined how he suffered an accident when he was a child.

He outlined how he was knocked down by a motorbike and spent several months in hospital.

The accused said that he had not taken his medication, and had started smoking a lot of  cannabis.

He said: "I feel very upset about what happened."

The accused told the court how he talks on the phone to his father daily.

Inspector Patsy Glennon said: "This could have resulted in the death of anyone of you."

Defence said that the two accused are 'extremely remorseful and are willing to engage in mediation.'

Judge Desmond Zaidan said: "This case is just horrible. The victim is a father, the attack was totally senseless fuelled by alcohol and drugs."

For threatening to kill his father, the accused got 12 months in prison and for the production of a hatchet, he got 12 months,  back dated to April 12, 2017.

Judge Zaidan ordered that the accused must undertake a successful alcohol and drugs treatment programme.

Meanwhile, the accused with special needs, got 12 months for the assault on his father and six months for producing an article during the course of a dispute.