A Lurgan man who sent an image of himself holding an axe to his ex-partner’s mother has been handed a suspended sentence.
In sentencing the 42-year-old, the district judge commented: “This was nasty enough and around Christmas time and it must have been frightening.”
Jerome McCann, of Ailsbury Park, appeared for sentencing on one count of improper use of public electronic communications at Craigavon Magistrates’, sitting at Lisburn, on Friday.
Prosecution outlined that on December 9, of last year, police received a report from the injured party that she had received a message from the defendant, the ex-partner of her daughter, in the early hours.
The message was namely a photograph of McCann holding an axe.
He was subsequently arrested and replied to caution: “Why am I being arrested?”
During interview, the defendant admitted sending the message and commented that he had consumed “quite a lot” of alcohol.
Defence barrister Conor Lunny stated: “You can see some of the context of the offending. Emotions had been quite strained between the parties, they still are but he has had contact with their child.
“The catalyst for this was information, whether true or not, regarding this woman’s partner and he took this silly decision, although I do not seek to minimise this as it was a nasty incident.”
He added: “This is a man who in the past has not had his troubles to seek, but there has been a gap in offending especially with regards to public order offences.”
District Judge Rosie Watters commented: “This was nasty enough and around Christmas time and it must have been frightening.”
McCann was sentenced to five months in prison suspended for a period of two years.
