Laois man told mother ‘you have to die’

A 24-YEAR-old man who put poison on his mother’s bed and told her that she had to die was given a ten-month suspended sentence at Portlaoise District Court last week.

The case was held in-camera when the man appeared before the court and pleaded guilty to breaching a safety order at his mother’s home on 17 March.

Garda Sgt JJ Kirby said that at 11pm that night, the man locked his mother into her bedroom and put poison on her bed. He told her she could not leave and said to her: “you have to die” and put her in fear.

Sgt Kirby said the woman managed to escape by getting out of her bedroom window and ran for help from family members nearby.

He said the defendant had no previous convictions.

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Defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her client accepts that he put his mother in fear and that he was off his medication at the time. She said there were no drink or drug issues at the time and asked that a custodial sentence not be imposed.

“Didn’t I give him a chance six months ago?” asked Judge Cody “There were four or five breaches (domestic court orders) before the court in 2024, but there has never been a conviction,” said Ms Fitzpatrick.

Addressing the court, the mother said: “It was terrifying. I never seen such behaviour from him before. I had no choice but to get a barring order out against him for our own safety.

“This was a very serious and terrifying occurrence for his mother. For him to come into her bedroom and for her to have to escape from her bedroom window,” said Judge Cody.

He went on to convict the man of breaching the safety order and imposed a ten-month sentence, which he suspended for two years.

He also imposed conditions that the man does not come within five kilometres of the family home for the next two years and that he takes all his prescribed medication.

* In-camera/family law cases are held in private due to their sensitive nature. In such matters, reporting restrictions are put in place whereby no identifying details can be published in a public forum.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme.