Court is told boy (5) suffered cuts to his face after drunk man lobbed heavy drill through house window
A five-year-old boy suffered cuts to his face after a drunk man lobbed a heavy drill through a window, a court was told.
Gerard McElroy (52), with an address listed as Springwell Court in Randalstown, had arrived drunk at his ex-partner's home on October 4 last year.
He began banging doors and shouting and two young children, one aged 5, were crying and pleading with the defendant "not to hurt their mother," a prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena.
The defendant went to his van and took a heavy drill which he threw through a pane of glass at the front door which "smashed all over" the five-year-old causing "cuts to his face".
The defendant was shouting "I will f**king kill you" to his ex-partner. She was in fear of him getting into the house and she reached for keys in the door and he tried to grab her hand but she got the keys out of the way and the defendant left in a van.
Police saw the van travelling at speed towards them and followed it. He had an alcohol in breath reading of 102 - the legal limit is 35.
The defendant pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill, assaults; driving with excess alcohol and causing criminal damage. A charge of having a drill as an offensive weapon was withdrawn by prosecutors.
A defence barrister accepted it was an "appalling set of facts" and the defendant, who had a clear record and had spent four weeks in custody on remand in connection with the case, was "appalled" at his own behaviour.
The barrister said it appeared to have been a "mental health breakdown" and the defendant had little memory of what happened due to being drunk.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said if the "big heavy mechanical drill" had hit the boy on the head it "could have killed that child".
He said it was an "appalling case of domestic violence" and said domestic violence will not be tolerated.
The defendant was given a five months prison term and a two-year Restraining Order was also put in place. He was also banned from driving for 16 months.
Bail in the sum of £500 was fixed for appeal. As part of bail he is to live at Creggan Road near Randalstown.