Man jailed for three years for aggravated burglary and threatening homeowner with knife

By Eoin Ryan

A man has been jailed for three years for an aggravated burglary during which he put a knife to the homeowner’s face and told him to “get out of my house”.

Garda Colin Reynolds told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that at around 1.30am on January 30, 2021 the victim, who was aged in his 40s, arrived at his city centre home.

When he got inside the house the victim saw a man inside the house wearing nothing but shorts.

This was the defendant Michael French (28). French began shouting at the homeowner “Who are you motherfucker, get out of my house.”

The victim shouted at his brother to wake up before he was pinned against the wall with a hand to his throat and a knife put against his face.

The defendant punched him in the stomach several times saying “I want to kill you” and that this was his home.

To try to calm down the burglar the victim began agreeing with French saying it was his house and the situation settled afterwards.

A neighbour who noticed what happened called Gardai and French fled after gardai arrived at the house.

He was caught after trying to jump over the fence of the house.

When asked by Gardai during interview if he knew why he was in custody, he said “I am here because this is where I am.”

The defendant said he was drinking in a field and did not know where to stay so he went into the home.

He said he went over a fence, got knocked out while doing this and woke up surrounded by Gardai.

He admitted to taking cocaine and ecstasy the night of the incident, the court heard.

French went into custody but was released on bail last March in order to enter a psychiatric ward, the court heard.

French, of no fixed abode, subsequently pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary.

John Nolan BL, defending, told the court French has a history of mental health issues and drug and alcohol addiction since he was 12 years old.

The defendant was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

He was working in tourism until 2017 when he had a breakdown due to his drug and alcohol addictions.

He began living with his sister in Galway after this before entering homelessness in 2019 and cutting contact from his family in 2020, the court heard.

Judge Martin Nolan said the defendant “would face a very very long sentence” of six to seven years if he did not have mental health issues to the court.

Judge Nolan said the victim “was confronted by a strange man in his home,” and this was noted when making a sentence.

He suspended the last 18 months of a four and a half year prison sentence.