A man who intimidated and threatened his neighbours has appealed a condition of his suspended sentence to allow him to live at home.
Darren McKeown of 37 Bothar Whitman in Ballybane was charged in Galway District Court in March this year for a number of incidents in which he displayed abusive and threatening behaviour to neighbours and gardaÃ.
The 46-year-old is currently serving a sentence with the final four months suspended on the condition that he not reside at his home in Ballybane.
However, McKeown – a single father – has previously struggled with homelessness.
The Circuit Court heard on Friday that he and his teenage daughter would be out on the streets if he complied with the District Court order.
McKeown also struggles with alcohol addiction, but is now clean.
On January 11 this year he was found in the street waving a shovel above his head and acting in an abusive and threatening manner.
One neighbour – a friend of his former partner – felt particularly endangered by his actions.
He had previously attempted to force entry into her house and threatened her family, which includes young children, in November 2017.
According to gardaà he had told the neighbour he would burn her house down.
He has 19 previous convictions for similar offenses.
Circuit Court judge Rory McCabe stated that the case would be revisited by the court pending a behaviour review on December 11.
McKeown is set to be released from prison on August 25.
In the interim, he will be allowed to live at home.
