Son's hallucinogenic drug use a factor in his threat to stab mother, Cork court hears

The court was told the 21-year-old had been taking cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD and another type of hallucinogenic drug for four years

Judge Olann Kelleher said: “All these matters are serious. Great credit is due to his mother and father." File photo

Heavy use of hallucinogenic drugs were a factor in a young man threatening to stab his mother and put her in the graveyard but now the family have thanked the sentencing judge for giving him time to turn his life around.

The young man’s mother yesterday said to Judge Olann Kelleher at a private court hearing: “We are delighted with the opportunity you gave us to help him.” Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said the 21-year-old was using hallucinogenic drugs at the height of the repeated incident.

Judge Olann Kelleher said: “All these matters are serious. Great credit is due to his mother and father. I will put everything back for six months.” The judge said that great credit was also due to the young man in attending to his rehabilitation.

The defendant attended the in-camera hearing of Cork District Court in the company of both of his parents.

Judge Kelleher said that at a difficult time for services he complimented the Probation Service for their work in this case and said there had been five different reports on this young man since it first came before Cork District Court during Covid-19 restrictions early last year.

The identity of the parties cannot be published as the charges relate to a breach of domestic violence laws which are dealt with at in-camera hearings.

At a sitting last Summer, the young defendant said: 

I want to get my life back on track and build my relationship with my parents.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a protection order by putting his mother in fear at the family home, including the occasion where he made the threat to stab his mother and put her in the graveyard.

Mr Buttimer solicitor said the 21-year-old had been taking drugs for four years, including cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD and some other type of hallucinogenic drug. Mr Buttimer said the 21-year-old had a severe psychotic episode as a result of which he had to be admitted to a psychiatric unit.