A three-month jail sentence was imposed on a man with previous convictions at Castlebar District Court this week after he brandished a kitchen knife at a man at an apartment block in Westport. Two men who also faced trespassing charges in connection to the same case appeared before Judge Mary Devins.
Paul Coates, 10 Riverside Apartments, Westport, told the court that on October 25 last year at 4am he heard the fire alarm in the apartment block ringing before he heard knocking on his apartment door. Upon opening the door, three men — Danny Ring, 13 Cloon Monad Close, The Quay Westport; David Gibbons, 18 Cloon Monad Close, The Quay Westport; and Stephen Ruane, 11 Cloon Monad Close, The Quay Westport; were standing outside in the corridor. Ring said to Mr Coates that they were in trouble and that someone was chasing them and asked Mr Coates if he could use his mobile phone.
Superintendant Pat Doyle said that the witnesses verbal evidence and statements were “at loggerheads” and read Mr Coates’ statments out in court. The first one, which was prepared on October 25 (following the incident ), said that the witness asked the men to leave the apartment and said that Ring went to the spare bedroom where he opened the balcony door to look out the window. He made a phone call and was holding a knife which he had taken from the kitchen. Mr Coates said that he asked for the phone and was frightened because Ring was holding a knife. Ring also told him not to answer the door.
A second statement which was furnished by the witness on October 29 said that he feared for his own safety that night and that Ring had shouted the word “trespass” at him a number of times.
The second witness to give evidence was Mr Jonathan Butler, 11 Riverside Apartments. Mr Butler said that he evacuated the apartment with his girlfriend after hearing the alarm and thought that the fumes which were let off from a fire extinguisher inside the apartments was a fire. While downstairs with other occupants he noticed that no one from apartment 10 was outside and returned inside the building to alert them. Mr Butler knocked at the door and Ring opened, holding a bread knife above his head and said to Mr Butler “what the f*** do you want”, “get out of here”. Mr Butler said that he was fearful of Ring and went back outside. Gardaí who were called to the scene of what they thought was a fire were then informed by Mr Butler about Rings’ actions.
Garda Adrian McGlynn told the court that after being approached by Mr Butler he went to the apartment accompanied by two other gardaí. Mr Coates eventually let the gardaí in. The garda explained that Ring was in a bedroom and had his back to gardaí, was on a mobile, looking out of a window, and had a knife in his hand. Garda McGlynn asked Ring to put the knife down, however, Ring just looked at him, before the gardaí physically removed the knife from him and arrested him. Garda McGlynn described Mr Coates that night as “nervous” and “frightened” and also remarked that the witness seemed “frightened” while taking the stand in court.
Defending solicitor James Ward outlined that the three defendants were being pursued around Westport by other parties following an earlier confrontation and entered the apartment block to escape these individuals. On seeing Mr Coates letting friends out of his apartment the men asked him if they could come in as they were being chased.
Mr Ward said that Ring did not have the intention or motive to use the knife on Butler, but when Ring answered the door he asked Butler to get away as he thought it might have been one of the men chasing after him.
Supt Pat Doyle asked Ruane, who took the stand, why none of the men used a mobile to alert the gardaí if they were being chased, and also said that neither did Mr Coates nor Mr Butler see any of these men who were chasing the defendants.
Judge Devins said that Mr Coates was not a credible witness and dismissed the trespassing charges against the defendants as well as the possession of a knife, however, the judge said that she was not dismissing the section two assault against Butler. The judge said that she was satisfied that the prosecution proved its case and said that while Ring did not “intend to cause injury” she was satisfied that he “intended to cause fear” and convicted and sentenced Ring to three months in prison and fined him €250. Recognisances were fixed.
