Dad-of-four jailed for threatening a young man with a knife in ‘frightening’ attack

A Buncrana father-of-four who put a young man in a headlock and threatened him with a knife in a frightening and unprovoked attack has been jailed for four months.

James McMenamin, of 4 Millfield, Buncrana, pleaded guilty to two weapons charges, including brandishing a weapon in a threatening manner, and possession of a weapon, when he appeared before Buncrana District Court.

The 44-year-old, who has 23 previous convictions, also admitted three separate offences, including criminal damage, threatening and abusive behaviour, and public drunkenness.

The court heard how Mr McMenamin attacked the injured party for no reason on a drunken night out, and was later aggressive towards gardai, before ripping a mattress to shreds in his cell at Buncrana Garda Station.

Imposing a six-month prison term, with the final two months suspended, Judge Emile Daly described the incident as “frightening and very serious”. She said Mr McMenamin had put his victim in fear for his life.

The judge was shown a photo of the knife, which she described as “very worrying looking”.

Sergeant Conor Mulkerns outlined the evidence in court against Mr McMenamin, an unemployed Buncrana plasterer.

He said the incident was reported late on February 22, 2025. At 11.59pm that night, the injured party made a report to Buncrana Garda Station that he had been approached by a male holding a knife at Upper Main Street, Buncrana.

This had happened only a few moments before he phoned the station. The injured party alleged that the male, who was holding a knife and highly intoxicated, had put his arm around him.

Sgt Mulkerns said the knife was not used and no injuries were sustained during the course of the incident.

The injured party described the man in possession of the knife, and a short time later, gardai on patrol observed a male matching the description: he was James McMenamin, of 4 Millfield, Buncrana.

Garda Hamilton approached Mr McMenamin and spoke with him. He was in a highly intoxicated state and unsteady on his feet. He then attempted to run away from the gardai and was stopped, arrested, and handcuffed.

The accused was conveyed to Buncrana Garda Station, where he remained in a highly aggressive state. During a subsequent search at the station, a small black-handled folding lock knife with a 7-centimetre blade was discovered on his person.

The court further heard that while he was in custody, Mr McMenamin continued to remain very aggressive and began to tear a mattress to pieces in his cell, causing more than €300 worth of damage.

Sgt Mulkerns outlined how the defendant had 23 previous convictions, including multiple serious assaults, a threat to kill, criminal damage, threatening and abusive behaviour, possession of drugs, and drunken disorderly.

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Mr McMenamin has previously been given a number of suspended prison terms, as well as sentences of community service.

Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn said his client is an unemployed plasterer who’s currently out of work, having suffered a serious back injury.

He said Mr McMenamin is in the process of applying for disability allowance and currently receives €190 per week on social welfare.

Mr MacLochlainn told the court how most of his client’s previous convictions occurred in his teenage years and stemmed from his “problems with drink and drugs”.

“He had problems with drink and drugs during his teenage years, but he had been managing that. He was doing well until he unfortunately lapsed back into the drink – and behaved in an outrageous manner on this particular night.”

The Buncrana solicitor said Mr McMenamin had been inadvertently carrying a knife on the night in question, rather than having willfully set out with a weapon.

“He was invited by his ex-partner to a party at her house that night, and he consumed far too much alcohol,” he said.

“She then asked him to fix a CD player, which was in the house, and she gave him a small knife. He was paring a wire at the back of the CD player, and after that, he put the knife in his pocket and began to take more Vodka.”

Mr MacLochlainn said his client has no memory of what happened next, given his level of intoxication.

“He left the house to go home and has no recollection of anything that happened after that. He was very, very drunk. He encountered a group of young men up the street, and he’s asked me to apologise to them and to the gardai.”

“He doesn’t know why he behaved the way he did; he’s never had a problem with these young men, before or since.”

The defence solicitor further revealed how the damage to the mattress at the Garda Station ran to €325.95, and Mr McMenamin handed the sum of €326 into the court to cover the cost.

Mr MacLochlainn appealed to the judge for leniency in the matter.

“He would be prepared to do community service. He’s anxious to make amends in whatever way the court sees fit,” he said.

“He has four children, and he has good contact with them, and he’s anxious to keep that going for as long as possible. Himself and his ex-partner are doing well now.”

“There are problems caused by his father, who is under investigation and has left the country. He is also dealing with that.”

Mr MacLochlainn added: “He’s attending various counsellors for his ongoing problems, and I’d ask you for whatever leniency you can give.”

Judge Emile Daly said the court had to take into account how the injured party was put into a headlock during a “very serious and frightening episode” in which a knife was used to threaten him.

She said the injured party had been put in fear for his life during the unprovoked attack at night.

The judge accepted that many of Mr McMenamin’s previous convictions dated back quite some time, and that he had ten years of little to no interactions with the authorities, from 2016 until 2025.

However, she said last year’s “lapse” was a hugely significant one, with serious consequences.

“I have to take account of the very frightening situation that the injured party found himself in at nighttime, being put into a headlock and a knife being produced. This was a worrying looking knife.”

The judge said she also had to be cognisant of the fact that Mr McMenamin has had the benefit of the court a number of times, in terms of past suspended sentences, community service orders and fines.

She then imposed a conviction and a six-month prison sentence, with the final two months suspended, on the Section 11 firearms charge.

On the Section 9 possession of a weapon charge, the judge convicted the accused and imprisoned him for a period of four months, with both sentences to run concurrently.

She also imposed a conviction for criminal damage, with no fine, given that the damage caused to the mattress has now been repaid.

Judge Daly imposed a further one-month concurrent prison sentence for the Section 6 Public Order charge, while “taking into account” the Section 4 drunk-in-public offence.

Following the case, defence solicitor Mr MacLochlainn immediately served notice of an appeal, which means there’ll be a temporary stay on the prison sentence imposed on Mr McMenamin, pending the outcome of that appeal.