Man who threatened to chop up woman after imprisoning her at his flat jailed
David Raleigh
A father of four and former construction worker, who imprisoned a woman at his home and threatened to chop her up with a machete, has been jailed for four years with the final year suspended.
Francis “Frank” O’Shea (53), Cecil Street, Limerick City, pleaded guilty before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court to one count of false imprisonment, two counts of making threats to kill or cause serious harm, as well as producing a foot-long machete knife.
The offences occurred at O’Shea’s basement flat on April 4th, 2024.
Prospecting barrister John O’Sullivan told O’Shea’s sentencing hearing that gardaí responded to his flat after a 999 call was made about “a male holding a female hostage and wielding a butcher’s knife”.
There was a group of six people in the flat at the time, including O’Shea, who were consuming “substances”, the court heard.
Garda Paul Barrett, Kilmallock garda station, who was stationed at Henry Street station at the time, told the court he observed O’Shea inside the flat “holding a large machete-type knife and there were two females in a distressed state”.
“He (O’Shea) turned his back, which allowed the two females to leave and escape from the flat.”
Garda Barrett said that he arrested O’Shea after observing him exit and return inside the flat holding a “black handled blade that was about one foot in length”.
The court heard the victim, Tara Fitzgerald, Thurles, had travelled to an appointment at an addiction service in Limerick earlier in the day, and she met a friend and ended up inside O’Shea’s flat.
At the time O’Shea was highly “intoxicated, aggressive and paranoid”, Mr O’Sullivan said.
The court heard that the victim said she and two other women went into a bedroom together to avoid O’Shea, but that O’Shea followed them into the room “waiving a machete”.
“He was saying crazy stuff, he said, what are ye doing in here, I know ye are talking about me, nobody is leaving here, and no one is going to the toilet,” the victim told gardaí.
Mr O’Sullivan said Ms Fitzgerald told gardai that O’Shea put his knees on her chest, she was crying in fear, and that O’Shea told her, “Crying won’t change anything”.
Mr O’Sullivan said O’Shea “kept swinging the machete and threatening to slash Ms Fitzgerald’s face”.
“He (O’Shea) said that he would cut her up and through her in the river,” Mr O’Sullivan added.
Eventually, Ms Fitzgerald pushed O’Shea off of her and escaped the flat.
The court heard the victim had since died in an unrelated matter.
Another woman who was in the flat at the time said O’Shea became aggressive and called them “druggies and whores”.
The woman said O’Shea was “swinging” the machete and told gardaí, “he said he was going to kill us and cut us up”.
O’Shea’s barrister, senior counsel, Brian McInerney described O’Shea as a “family man with grown-up children who worked in the construction trade”.
Mr McInerney said O’Shea became addicted to alcohol and then heroin and crack cocaine.
“He (O’Shea) wishes to express his deep remorse for his behaviour on the night, he was in an appalling state, having continued to drink ferociously and take narcotics.”
O’Shea had previous convictions, including in 2011 for possession of a knife for which he received a three-month suspended sentence; as well as assault in 2001 for which he was given 140 hours of community service.
Judge Colin Daly directed O’Shea to engage with the probation service for one year after his release and seek help for his addiction issues.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Women’s Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Men’s Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information.
Safe Ireland also offers a number of local services and helplines at safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
