Man jailed for attack terrifying his parents

A district judge has jailed a man that forced his parents to barricade themselves into their bedroom to keep him away from them.

Shane McSweeney, aged 22, of Cork Simon community, denied the charge of breaching a barring order and claimed he was not at the house kicking the door in last Saturday night.

Shane McSweeney said he was drinking with friends and got his nose split open in a fight that night, and was nowhere near his parents’ house because he knew he was barred from their house.

He said of his father, Peter McSweeney: “That man has a grudge against me.”

McSweeney also said: “I have plenty of enemies, there could be someone else kicking the door.”

Peter McSweeney said of his son: “He started kicking the door, he was shouting and roaring to leave him in.

“He said: ‘I will cut your fucking throats.’

“I was in fear. I could see he had blood on him. I called the guards. I don’t want to be within 1,000 feet of him, or 10 miles if I could help it. I am afraid of him.”

Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer suggested Peter McSweeney was mistaken about seeing and hearing his son outside the house.

Peter McSweeney replied: “It was definitely him, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Judge O’Leary said it was beyond belief that Mr McSweeney would have made up his complaint or been mistaken.

He also commented that in July, when Shane McSweeney got a 21-day jail sentence for breaching a barring order, Peter McSweeney was extremely reluctant to give evidence against his son.

The judge imposed an eight-month jail sentence on Shane McSweeney, with the last six months suspended. He said that, on the day of his release, he would have to go to Arbour House to start rehabilitation for his alcohol and prescribed medicine-abuse problems.

He was sentenced on a charge of breaching a barring order at midnight on Saturday, Sep 15, by putting his father, Peter McSweeney, in fear at Glenfields Park Glenheights Rd, Ballyvolane, Cork.

Peter McSweeney testified previously: “We were upstairs with the bed up against the door and two wardrobes behind the bed. That is how much we were in fear of him.”