Cookstown man grabbed father by throat as he was being driven home

A prison sentence of six months has been handed down in the case of a Cookstown man who smashed a window in his parents’ car and grabbed his father by the throat while being driven home.

By The Newsroom

Published 14th Nov 2014, 10:18 BST

Connor Keenan, 34, from Westbury Way in the town, pleaded guilty at an earlier sitting of Dungannon Magistrates Court to charges of common assault, making threats to kill and criminal damage, arising out of the incident which took place on September 21.

The court was told Keenan’s parents had gone to collect him from the town and found him involved in an argument.

As he was being driven from the scene by his parents, Keenan was in an “agitated state”, a prosecutor explained, and threw his tobacco pouch at his mother.

A window in the rear of the car was smashed during the incident, and Keenan grabbed his father, who was driving, around the torso and neck area.

Keenan’s lawyer said this was a “very sad case” and that the defendant, who has been in custody since the incident, was eager to be released so that he could spend time with his children at Christmas.