A man has appeared in court trying to hit another man with an axe in Letterkenny.
Paul Van Leemput was before Letterkenny District Court over the incident on November 24, 2022 at Cnoc Ard, Letterkenny.
Gardai were requested by paramedics to attend the address after they heard arguing from inside the house.
Sergeant Maurice Doyle told the court that gardai entered the sitting room and observed Van Leemput brandishing the implement.
Officers further observed him swinging the hatchet axe, attempting to strike another male and narrowly missing. Van Leemput was subsequently restrained and the hatchet axe recovered.
The 63-year-old Van Leemput, of Cnoc Ard, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, was charged that he did, while appearing to be about to commit an offence to wit, assault, in the course of a dispute, produce in a manner likely unlawfully to intimidate another person an article capable of inflicting serious injury, to wit, a hatchet axe. The charge is contrary to section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.
Solicitor Mr Patsy Gallagher told the court that Van Leemput had the hatchet axe for cutting sticks for the fire. He said his client has undergone a significant medical procedure and had consumed alcohol on the day in question.
“The situation with the alcohol combined with the prescriptive medication took over,” Mr Gallagher said, adding that Van Leemput has severe mobility issues.
“It was an unfortunate incident and the other party involved has no axe to grind, shall we say,” Mr Gallagher said. “This was one of the small hatchets used for firewood. The risk of reoffending is on the lower scale.”
Van Leemput has one previous conviction, which goes back 20 years.
Judge Ciaran Liddy said he would treat the matter as if Van Leemput is a man without any previous. Van Leemput was fined €200 and given six months to pay.