A repeat offender who drunkenly threw a stone the front door of his former partner’s home and later carried out further criminal damage at a garda station has been sent for probation and community service reports.
Michael O’Connell (44), of Patrician Villas, Stillorgan, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, intoxication in a public place and threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour on 18 September, 2024.
He also pleaded guilty to a separate count of criminal damage at Dundrum Garda Station on the same date.
Dún Laoghaire District Court heard that gardaí responded to calls over an incident at Patrician Villas at around 11:40am on September 18.
On arrival, they saw O’Connell striking the bottom of the front door with a stone. Gardaí said he was highly intoxicated for that time of the morning. When approached, O’Connell became verbally abusive, shouting “f**k you, bitch c**t” at the gardaí. He then crossed the road and continued shouting, appearing extremely intoxicated.
Although Patrician Villas is listed as his current address, the court heard O’Connell no longer lived at the property at the time of the incident, but his former partner was still residing there.
The court heard that O’Connell has 84 previous convictions, including those for public order matters, drug offences, firearms-related offences and road traffic matters. He received a suspended sentence for criminal damage in 2020.
Silvia-Maria Crowley BL, defending, told the court that her client had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia but cannot tolerate the prescribed medication and had turned to alcohol and drugs.
He experienced a breakdown at the time of the incident. The court heard that O’Connell previously used heroin and crack cocaine, and is currently on 43ml of methadone.
Counsel said O’Connell has been off street drugs and sober for a period of time. Ms Crowley said O’Connell has never had the benefit of working with the probation services, despite his long history of offending.
Judge Áine Shannon said the court was of the view that O’Connell may benefit from probation supervision and a community service assessment “to give him a chance to mend his ways”.
She remanded O’Connell on continuing bail to 20 April, 2026 for finalisation.