Man was woken by rampaging serial offender wielding axe

After being awoken in the middle of the night, a terrified homeowner was confronted by a man wielding an axe, a court heard.

Detective Garda Pat Whelan told Limerick Circuit Court yesterday that serial offender Nigel Sheehan had gone on a rampage on April 17 last year in the Ballinacurra area of Limerick.

The 35-year-old had forced his way through the front door of one house and grabbed an axe he found inside.