Father-of-two jailed for attempt to break into ex-partner’s bedroom

A father-of-two who broke into his ex-partner’s home and hacked through her bedroom door with a pair of scissors has been given a three-year prison sentence.
Andrew Laird, 33, had pleaded guilty to burglary on July 14, 2019 at an address in Convoy.
Judge John Aylmer suspended the final two years of the sentence at Letterkenny Circuit Court.
A previous hearing of the court heard that Laird’s ex-partner, Sarah Louise McGavigan, had been left “petrified” by his attempt to break through her locked bedroom door.
Ms McGavigan told gardaí that she was in bed from 10pm and at around 12.50am she heard heavy knocking at the window. She heard glass breaking and started shouting in the hope that the person would flee.
Laird, of Beechwood Grove, Convoy, ran upstairs and Ms McGavigan sought refuge in her bedroom, locking the door. Laird started banging on the door and a sharp object cut through the door.
Ms McGavigan rang her sister and, upon seeing the victim on the phone, Laird left through the back door.
Laird was arrested for burglary and made no admissions during an interview with gardaí. Officers seized clothing and a pair of large green scissors which were believed to have been used to damage the door.

In a victim impact statement, Ms McGavigan, a single mother-of-two, said she was left in shock after the incident.
She had been in a relationship with Laird but had not seen him in around six weeks prior to the incident.
Laird has 15 previous convictions, eight for drug-related offences, six for road traffic matters and one for possession of drugs with the intent to sell or supply.
Sentencing Laird, Judge Aylmer said the incident was “clearly a very terrifying experience for the unfortunate victim”.

He said the starting point for the sentence was four years in prison.
Mitigating factors which reduced the sentence to three years included an early plea of guilty, his expression of remorse and the fact he had not come to the attention of gardaí since the offence.

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The judge said drugs were a problem in Laird's life and a probation report found he was at moderate risk of reoffending. The report also noted he had “a bad attitude” towards relationships. He has been free of drugs for a year and has been undergoing therapy.
The judge noted that Laird has a low IQ and his education was in a school for students with special needs.

Judge Aylmer said the offence was too serious to merit suspending the whole sentence.
He suspended the final two years of the three-year sentence on the condition that Laird be of good behaviour, abstain from unprescribed drugs and be under the supervision of the Probation Service for the first 12 months.