Man chased group of youths with a chainsaw before driving his car on footpath at them

A DRUNK man who swung a chainsaw at customers including a young boy in a supermarket and later chased a group of young people waving the chainsaw before driving his car at them was jailed at Trim Circuit Court.

Michael Fitzsimons (55), The Deenes, Duleek, Co Meath pleaded guilty to a charge of endangerment and two charges of possessing a chainsaw capable of causing injury or intimidation in Kentstown on 6th June 2021.

A garda told prosecuting counsel Carl Hanahoe BL the defendant had exchanged words with a man outside the supermarket before taking a chainsaw from the boot of his car entering the shop and swinging it at customers including the man who was accompanied by a young child.

The defendant struck the man on the jaw with his closed fist but this man had never come forward and had not been traced the garda said adding that the child appeared no older than four or five years-of-age.

Later at approximately 8.30 pm as the defendant drove by a group of about 10 young people aged between 11 and 17 who had gathered on a green area near the local church he rolled down the window of his silver Yaris car and demanded to know what they were looking at.

He then stopped about 50 metres away again took out the chainsaw and ran at them before driving his car along the footpath at them. Some of the teens had gone over walls to get away.

A man who saw what was happening came out of his garden and put his hand on the bonnet of the Yaris to stop the defendant who then drove off.

The garda said that Fitzsimons was identified from CCTV and was asleep when gardai called to his home some hours later.

The defendant admitted the offences and said he went to run the young people over but added he had only limited memory due to intoxication after a day's drinking.

“If that's what I’ve done I'm guilty,” he told officers.

A defence barrister said his client accepted his actions were wrong and indefensible and could not believe he had done what he did.

The court heard the chainsaw had not been switched on and the lawyer said it was just something the defendant had in his car.

Judge Terence O'Sullivan noted that a probation report had concluded that when he was not drinking the defendant was at low risk of re-offending but when drinking was a risk.

The judge commented that the offences had been committed without any kind of rationality and jailed Fitzsimons for 18 months.