A 21-YEAR-OLD man smashed up a car with a hatchet in retaliation for allegedly being “rammed” off the road in an earlier incident, Fermanagh Magistrates Court has heard.

Sean McDonagh, of Trasna Way, Lisnaskea, pleaded guilty to damaging a motor vehicle and possessing an axe in a public place, namely Galloon Gardens, Newtownbutler, on September 26 last year.

McDonagh had entered guilty pleas an an earlier appearance before the court and a pre-sentence report had been prepared.

At his sentencing on Monday, the court heard that police had received a call from the injured party, who informed them that the defendant had arrived in a dark-coloured van and then smashed up the car outside the property with a hatchet.

The injured party valued the damaged car at between £3,500 and £4,000, the court heard.

After the defendant was arrested and brought into custody, he was shown CCTV footage of the incident. However, at that time, he denied being responsible for any alleged offence.

Defending solicitor, Myles McManus, told the court that his client, who was married with children, was willing to pay for the damage, given sufficient time. However, he added that the defendant had not been provided with any invoice and simply had the injured party’s “own assessment”.

Describing the “vast majority” of the contents of the pre-sentence report as very positive, the solicitor said that McDonagh wanted to apologise to the court and the alleged injured party.

Outlining the background to the incident, Mr McManus said that the defendant had been driving along the Lisnaskea Road, with his wife and one of his children in the vehicle, around 25 minutes earlier.

The solicitor alleged that a car had approached rapidly from the rear and “rammed him off the road”. The police were called out to this incident, Mr McManus added.

Conceding that there was “no excuse and no justification” for the defendant’s subsequent actions, the solicitor said that he had taken the law into his own hands after his wife and child had been put at risk by another person’s driving.

In mitigation, Mr McManus said that his client had no issue with drink or drugs and was fit to do community service.

He stressed that the defendant had no previous convictions, had entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity and had a “caring obligation” to his father, who had accompanied him to court.

“This behaviour is a one-off, an aberration and won’t be repeated again,” the solicitor added.

Deputy district judge Hamill observed that this incident “had all the hallmarks of the beginning of a good, old-fashioned feud”, before later adding: “This nonsense has got to stop.”

The judge imposed five-month prison terms in respect of each charge, and then suspended both for a three-year period. He also granted a destruction order for the axe and ordered the defendant to pay £500 compensation.