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Jail for man who terrorised teens in "drunken rampage"
Summary
David Lawrence, aged 22, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for a drunken rampage that took place on 23 April 2017 at a house in Lusk. He admitted assaulting a teenage boy and a 15‑year‑old girl, smashing windows with a bale of briquettes and a lump of timber, and threatening to kill the boy. The court heard that Lawrence knocked on the door, used the bathroom, returned to demand a phone, knocked the girl to the ground, struck the boy, smashed the front‑door window, and threatened to slit the boy's throat with a knife. He also smashed another window with a wooden stick and tried to open the bathroom door. The family, who had known Lawrence before, were frightened and suffered long‑term emotional damage. Judge Martin Nolan noted that alcohol was not an excuse for his behaviour. Lawrence's sentence was back‑dated to 7 September 2017 when he entered custody. David Lawrence pleaded guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for man who terrorised teens in "drunken rampage". Charges or matters: assaulting a 15-year-old girl on the same occasion, and smashing windows with a bale of briquettes and a lump of timber. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- April 23, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 7 Other
- 2018-05-09 Publication
Why: Passing sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said the fact that Lawrence had little or no memory of committing these crimes because he was drunk was no excuse. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: assaulting a 15-year-old girl on the same occasion, and smashing windows with a bale of briquettes and a lump of timber (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said the fact that Lawrence had little or no memory of committing these crimes because he was drunk was no excuse. "Drink is a voluntary activity and when you drink and behave in this way, you're responsible for your behaviour," he said. "He went on a drunken rampage and behaved disgracefully," said Judge Nolan, adding that he it was an extremely frightening experience for the family, who were suffering long-term consequences. The sentence was backdated to September 7 last, when Lawrence went into custody.
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