Stephen Goodall (25) of Henry Street pleaded guilty to assault at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday following what was described as “a totally reprehensible” incident at the family home on Thursday, December 20 last year. 

 

The court was told that approximately 5pm Goodall began shouting abuse at his mother, asking her “who the f***k do you think you are” and telling her she had no respect for his car after she

had had the Porsche moved to the rear of their home. 

 

Goodall, who the court heard had issues with anger management, then came at his mother with a brush shaft. She attempted to run away but fell over, and he hit her twice on the buttocks with the shaft, causing bruising. He also raised the brush shaft to her husband. 

 

A short time later the couple heard glass smashing in the kitchen, and later discovered Goodall had broken the oven door. Goodall then dragged his mother out of the bedroom, telling her to look at what she had done to his Porsche, and her husband shouted at him to leave her alone. 

 

The couple then went outside, and Goodall left the home at around 7pm, telling his mother “I hope you burn in Hell, you’re no mother of mine.” The court was told that a number of months before the incident Goodall had put his hands around his mother’s neck as she had been talking too loud. His mother had previously declined the offer of a restraining order on her son, stating she wanted him to get treatment for his anger issues. 

 

Defence solicitor Nicola McCaffery said Goodall had been in “shock and disbelief” that his mother had hired a forklift to move his car, which he was doing up at the time. She said in the move the Porsche had been damaged and he had been enraged, provoking him to lose his temper and lash out. 

 

Ms McCaffery said Goodall, a design engineer who was recently married, was remorseful about what had happened and wanted to put it behind him. She said Goodall had assured her it would never happen again. 

 

District Judge Nigel Broderick said for Goodall to assault his mother with a brush shaft was “totally reprehensible” and said he should be going to prison, only his mother wished for him to get anger management. Judge Broderick ordered Goodall, who had no previous convictions, to pay £500 compensation to his mother and gave him a 12 month probation order.