A man who assaulted his landlord after being asked to leave the property has been jailed.
Philip Lalor (36) also assaulted another tenant before brandishing a knife in the direction of the landlord. He climbed out a window after armed gardaí were called to the house, but was apprehended in a laneway.
Lalor, formerly of Celtic Park Avenue, Beaumont, Dublin 9, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of two counts of assault causing harm and one of production of a Stanley knife in the course of a dispute.
He was also convicted of two counts of threatening and abusive behaviour, one of which took place in Clondalkin Garda station.
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Garda Leanne Connell said on Tuesday that Lalor was renting a room in a shared house in Whitehall, Dublin. The landlord and his wife went to the house to ask Lalor to leave on June 20th, 2020.
At one point, Lalor said he would not leave, but it was agreed that the full amount of rent he had paid and a deposit of around €1,000 would be returned to him.
Lalor initially said he had clothes in the washing machine and later went upstairs to his room, saying he would not leave.
The landlord picked up a bag near the door, then walked into the hall with it. Lalor grabbed him from behind and put him in a chokehold. The landlord fell to the floor.
Another tenant came out of his room and tried to help the landlord. He grabbed Lalor in a chokehold, the court heard, but Lalor pushed him against the door frame and wall. This man sustained bruising afterwards.
Lalor released the landlord and went into his own room. He came out holding a Stanley knife and brandished it at the landlord who was standing in close proximity to him.
Gardaí were called and the others present went downstairs.
When members of the Garda armed support unit arrived at the house, Lalor was still inside. They went into the house, knocked on his bedroom door and asked him to come out.
He escaped out of an upstairs window and was caught trying to flee down a nearby lane. He had a black holdall bag with him, which contained a Stanley knife, the court was told.
Lalor resisted gardaí, acting in an aggressive and threatening manner. He was taken to Clondalkin Garda station, where he continued to behave aggressively.
When interviewed, Lalor did not deny being in the house but downplayed what had happened. He said the knife fell from the bag when it was grabbed and that he picked it up, denying that he brandished it.
Lalor has 20 previous convictions, including 12 for public order and three for criminal damage.
Connell agreed with defence barrister Luigi Rea that there were no medical reports for either injured party. It was also accepted Lalor only brandished the knife and had taken drink the night before.
Rea told the court his client did not accept the verdict. He said his instructions were that Lalor regretted renting in the house, drinking the night before, his reaction and panicking.
He said he was also instructed that Lalor did not judge the situation correctly due to drink and wished he had a camera phone to record what happened.
Rea said his client intended to attend counselling for his drinking and had a long work history.
Lalor kept to himself in custody, wished to return to working on his family farm in Co Laois and was willing to engage with the Probation Service, the court heard.
Judge Martina Baxter imposed a sentence of two years, suspending the final 12 months on strict conditions including 12 months of post-release supervision by the Probation Services.
The judge backdated the sentence to February 4th, when Lalor went into custody.
