A man threatened to kill a pet dog while a family were out having a picnic in a forest in Co Donegal.
Laurence Bonner, appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with the terrifying incident which happened on the afternoon of October 28, 2019.
A 19-year-old woman and her 12-year-old brother were returning from their picnic at some woods at Stranorlar.
40-year-old Bonner approached the boy and asked him if his dog was vicious.
The boy replied that he wasn’t but he did bark at strangers and that he may want to walk around him.
Bonner, of Blue Cedars, Ballybofey, then pulled out a knife and said he would kill the dog and called the boy a “cheeky c***.”
The man continued up the path and encountered the boy’s older sister and asked her if she knew the boy.
When she replied it was her brother, Bonner then pulled out the knife again and threatened the young woman.
Bonner was arrested by Gardai as he was leaving the woods.
Mr O’Brien said his client was very remorseful over the incidents.
Judge Paul Kelly agreed to have a Probation Report for his next appearance as well as asking for victim impact statements before adjourning the case until June for sentence.