Enniskillen Court House
A 33-year-old man has been jailed after he slashed the tyres of two cars and smashed his neighbour’s window in a series of random incidents earlier this year, Fermanagh court has heard.
Paul Moran, of Carnmore Rise, Enniskillen, pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage, possessing a knife and disorderly behaviour.
A further charge of common assault was withdrawn by the Public Prosecution Service.
After appearing at Enniskillen Magistrates Court via video link from Maghaberry prison, Moran was jailed for a total of four months.
Outlining the background of the case, a prosecutor explained that on February 26 this year, the injured party, Patrick McGrory, went to Enniskillen Police Station and reported that just after 6am that morning he was walking through Derrin Park, Enniskillen when Moran went up to him and said: “Pick up that brick and put it in the garden.”
When Mr McGrory ignored the defendant he shouted: “I’m talking to you. Pick up the brick, pick up the brick.”
The defendant then picked up the brick and threw it at Mr McGrory and called him a d**k head. Although the brick did not make contact or injury McGrory, he told officers he was scared by the incident.
On March 6, police officers arrested Moran for the offence. During police interview the accused claimed that he picked up the brick and threw it in his direction but did not want to hit him adding that he left it on the footpath.
On January 2, at approximately 1.45am, police received a request for assistance after a man was spotted damaging a vehicle at Drumcor Hill in Enniskillen.
When officers arrived at the scene they found Moran being restrained by two men who said they had just seen the accused slashing the tyre of a black BMW 320D which belonged to one of the men.
A search of Moran uncovered a knife in his pocket.
Further enquires revealed that a second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, also had its tyres slashed.
During police interview Moran admitted slashing the car tyres and being in possession of the knife adding that he believed “they looked out of place”.
The court heard that the cost of damage to the BMW was £145 while there was between £80 and £100 worth of damage caused to the Passat.
During a separate incident on February 11 this year, at around 10pm, police were called to Carnmore Rise following a report of a disturbance in the area.
Two neighbours, one of whom was identified as Moran, were involved in an incident.
When officers arrived they spotted the defendant running on the footpath, claiming that his neighbour, Dominic Mc Goldrick bit his ear. However, Mr McGoldrick accused Moran of smashing his front window.
The defendant was arrested and kept in custody overnight and interviewed the following day.
During police interview he stated that he took a rake and used it to smash the other man’s window because of his alleged behaviour towards him, however neither parties would make a formal compliant about each other.
Defence solicitor Niall Bogue told the court that his client suffers from a number of difficulties.
“He has been in custody since April 7 and he has co-operated fully with police,” he added.
“He has a number of difficulties.”
District Judge Nigel Broderick noted that the probation report sets out a lot of his previous history, all which were not made public in court.
Moran was jailed for a total of fours for a charge of common assault, damage to both vehicles and damage to his neighbour’s window.
He was also fined a total of £225 for the damage caused to the two vehicles.
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