A lawyer for a man with 100 previous convictions – and currently accused of smashing his way into a property in south Armagh whilst armed with a machete – has asked the court to “take a chance on him” by granting him bail.
Sean McGonnell, 31, previously of Co Armagh but with an address of Summer Hill in Dublin, is accused of being one of two men who broke a house on the Aughnagurgan Road, near Altnamackan, in the early hours of February 28.
At approximately 1.30am, the homeowner heard some loud bangs and what sounded like glass breaking.
He got up, entered his living room, where he could see through a glass door into the kitchen. There he saw two males, one of whom was carrying a machete, the other was carrying a hammer.
A detective told the court that the homeowner “held the glass door closed, just to ensure the males wouldn’t get any further inside the house, and to protect his family”.
The court then heard that “a male with a machete used the blade to break some glass panels in the door to try and get at him, and once the homeowner’s two sons had entered the room to support him, the two males left through the glass patio door, which had been smashed to gain entry to the property, running off on foot.”
The pair were chased down Blaney Road. After several hours searching, local residents and the home occupants located McGonnell in a field, approximately a couple of hundred meters away from the property.
Once discovered he was detained by the residents and subsequently by police.
McGonnell, according to the detective, was found with “a red and black handle machete on his person, and the homeowners had recognised this item as the one that was belonging to the offender that entered their home”.
The defendant had “possession of a knife in his jacket and was found with the backpack containing a balaclava and some bleach bottles”.
He was arrested for aggravated burglary and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon.
McGonnell’s defence counsel described his client’s record as appalling and said “I do not seek to detract from that”.
“What I can say is, because he is now due for release on license [having just served half a prison sentence], he would be subject to the most onerous package of conditions.”
He added: “So every volume of Mr McGonnell’s record, that your worship is currently making your way through, is linked to alcohol and drugs. That’s Mr McGonnell’s downfall. Always has been.”
The defence argued that McGonnell would be tested regularly as part of those licensed conditions, and “if he is found to be drinking alcohol, reoffending, getting in any trouble, not complying with his license conditions in any way…Mr. McGonnell heads back to Maghaberry and he serves the other seven and a half months of that sentence.
“So there is every incentive for Mr McGonnell to stick to his conditions. Now, above and beyond that, he’s actually done very well in his last period in Maghaberry. He’s been working in the kitchen. He hasn’t failed a drugs test. He’s been engaging in every sort of class that’s open and available to him and for all of those reasons, we say the court can take a chance on him.”
Adding: “He’s long enough in the tooth; he’s been around the block enough times, he knows what happens if he doesn’t comply with bail conditions.”
District Judge Eamon King questioned the whereabouts of the second man and the detective confirmed the co-accused – Robert Tasker – had his licence revoked and is currently in Maghaberry.
Rejecting to bail, Judge King, said: “He has a criminal record extending to 100 previous offences. They include robbery, theft, arson, serious assault, and I also note that he is eight bail breaches on his record.
“There are no conditions that the court could attach to this case, that would satisfy this court, that we could manage the risk of further offences. Bail is refused.”
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