Six months in jail for criminal damage and assault

A 36-YEAR-OLD man, who committed criminal damage at a premises in Carrickmacross on two different occasions last summer, and who also assaulted a secondary school student at a local retail outlet and filling station a few weeks earlier, was given consecutive prison terms totalling six months when the incidents were outlined at a recent sitting of Monaghan District Court.

Daniel Basiukiewicz, with an address at an apartment on Parnell Street, Carrickmacross, and also at Barnesmore, Kingscourt Road, Carrickmacross, was told by Judge Raymond Finnegan that he had been given many chances and this was where “the bus stops rolling”.

Basiukiewicz, who is of Polish nationality, pleaded guilty to assaulting a male youth at Eurospar, Cloughvalley Upper, Carrickmacross on May 12 of last year, as well as to engaging in threatening behaviour and being intoxicated on the same occasion.

He also admitted that on May 27, 2025, he visited a property at James Lane, Carrickmacross and caused €150 of damage to curtains, a curtain pole and flower pots belonging to Valentin Savciuc.

A month later, on June 27 last, the defendant went back to the premises at James Lane and, having entered as a trespasser, caused damage valued at €450 to kitchen press doors and a chair belonging to Therese Toal. It was admitted by Basiukiewicz that he was drunk in public at Cloughvalley Upper, Carrickmacross on the same date.

It was pointed out during the hearing that the June 27 offences had occurred shortly after Basiukiewicz had been imprisoned for four months (on June 16) for earlier criminal damage offences.

Sergeant Lisa McEntee said that, at 6:30pm on Friday, June 27, gardaí responded to a call about an incident at James Lane. The letting agent stated that her tenant called her to say Basiukiewicz had entered the property and was refusing to leave.

Garda Daniel Doughty went to the scene and saw Mr Basiukiewicz, who was known to him, in the hallway of the premises. Basiukiewicz walked out of the property and headed on up the street. He was observed to be highly intoxicated and unsteady on his feet, and he was arrested for this reason at 7:30pm.

Sgt McEntee also recalled an incident that occurred a month earlier, on May 27, 2025, in which Basiukiewicz entered the same address and caused €150 of damage to curtains, a curtain pole and flower pots in the bedroom.

Two weeks before that, at 1:25pm on Monday, May 12, the defendant had been making a nuisance of himself toward schoolchildren while they were on their lunch break at Eurospar (Cloughvalley Stores), Cloughvalley Upper, Carrickmacross.

When gardaí attended the scene they saw Basiukiewicz at the petrol pumps, where he was very intoxicated and being verbally abusive towards members of the public. The officers were also told of an allegation that the accused had approached a school-going youth outside Eurospar. There was a verbal altercation and he had “tapped” the juvenile a number of times on the face.

Judge Finnegan was told the defendant had 15 previous convictions, the last of which was recorded on June 16, 2025, when he was given a four-month sentence for offences including criminal damage and engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour.

The sergeant noted that this meant it was just over a week later that Mr Basiukiewicz was out again and carrying out some of the offences that had been outlined to the court.

Goes ‘a bit crazy’ on drink

Solicitor Roisin Courtney said her client’s problem was that “he goes a bit crazy on drink”. She believed he had some mental health issues too, but his instructions were that he was staying sober at the present time and doing some labouring works.

In short, he was now off the drink, had a job, and had obtained a house, Ms Courtney said.

But Judge Finnegan said that the defendant was in and out of the court “far too often”. The judge said, therefore, “the bus stops rolling today”.

Imposing consecutive two-month for the assault on the young person at Eurospar on May 12, the damage to kitchen press doors and chair at James Lane on June 27, and the damage to the curtains and flower pots on that same address on May 27, Judge Finnegan said the remaining counts were being taken into consideration.

In refusing to suspend the sentences, he told Ms Courtney that this was because her client had been given that benefit before. He also pointed out that some of the offences before the court were committed just over a week after a four-month prison sentence was given last June.

Recognisances were set in the event of any appeal.