A young Letterkenny man was so addicted to synthetic cannabis caused him to become paranoid to the extent he attacked his sister’s boyfriend with an iron bar and knuckle duster.
Sloan Murphy of 26 Glenoughty Close appeared at a sitting of Letterkenny District Court in April and was adjourned to allow for the preparation of relevant reports from the Probation and Welfare Service.
Judge Paul Kelly heard how the defendant had been attending a birthday party in Oldtown, Letterkenny on September 1, last year, when he attacked the injured party with an iron ratchet handle.
On another occasion, Murphy punched the victim in the face with an implement called a “knuckle duster” which resulted in him needing treatment in hospital.
This week, having read the reports from the Probation Service, Judge Paul Kelly said they revealed that the defendant has a “irrational antipathy to the injured party who is going out with his sister”.
It also noted that he was “addicted to synthetic cannabis” and added “his empathy to the victim is limited as he feels he is a bad influence on his sister”.
The court heard from reports that Murphy has attended for drug use treatment but still has an “inability to rationally reason and problem solve” also suffers from paranoid thoughts and is in the “moderate category of re-offending”.
Solicitor, Mr Frank Dorrian, told the court his client has the motivation to address these issues and has support from his grandparents. He is also commencing a welding course in Gaoth Dobhair and is not using drugs at the moment.
Judge Kelly also noted the Probation Services have said the defendant does not need ongoing support from them and that he is a suitable candidate for community service.
It was also outlined that the injured party does not wish to make a victim impact statement.
Murphy was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 180 hours community service in lieu of six months imprisonment on each. He was also sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for a period of two years provided he commits no further offences during that time.