Mechanic stopped his car in the middle of the road and made kill threats, court told

Ethan Lokko (24) was shouting at the man he would “get him” and cause him harm.

Lokko had denied a breach of the peace, claiming he had just stopped to talk to a friend.

Judge Maire Conneely adjourned sentencing to a date in November.

The defendant, of Moylaragh Rise in Balbriggan, was found guilty of threatening and abusive behaviour at Dún Saithne Crescent in Balbriggan on November 27 last year.

Sergeant Eamonn McFadden told Swords District Court gardaí were called following reports of a disturbance.

Sgt McFadden said Lokko’s car was stopped in the middle of the road, and he was standing at the driver’s door shouting at second man, who was in a front garden of a house.

Sgt McFadden said Lokko was shouting at the man that he would “get him”, “kill him” and cause him harm.

He told Lokko to get back into his car three times, and each time he did so, but got back out again.

In his evidence, Lokko said he was talking to a friend, and denied he would ever make kill threats to anyone.

Judge Conneely found Lokko had breached the peace.

She dismissed a weapons charge against Lokko, accepting he had a claw hammer in his car because he was a mechanic and used it for work.

Defence solicitor Fiona D’Arcy said Lokko had trained as a mechanic but he could not work full time as he has stomach problems.

Ms D’Arcy said the defendant had a young child and his partner was seven months pregnant with their second. She said Lokko wanted to be there for his partner and was willing to do anything to avoid jail.

Ms D’Arcy suggested this incident was not the most serious, and said Lokko had no intention of getting into any more trouble. Lokko had dabbled in drugs in the past, but he had dealt with it, she added.