Man threatened to kill or injure Laois garda
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JUDGE Susan Fay said she was not accepting jurisdiction in a case of a man who is charged with threatening to kill or to cause serious injury to a member of An Garda Siochána.
The issue came before her at last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court when the 35-year-old was brought before it on the charge that allegedly took place in Portlaoise on 1 January. He was further charged with not complying with the directions of a garda at Abbeyleix Garda Station on the same date.
The man cannot be named since the alleged incident took place while gardaí were conducting investigations into an alleged domestic assault incident.
Asked by Judge Fay to give an outline of the alleged facts before deciding whether to accept jurisdiction, Garda Sgt Kevin O’Sullivan said that during their investigations that morning, gardaí encountered the defendant not far from where an alleged domestic incident had been reported.
While speaking with him, Sgt O’Sullivan said he approached a garda, told him he knew where he lived and named neighbours who lived around him. He also alleged that he was associated with a known crime group and allegedly threatened to kill the garda and said he’d, allegedly, have him killed if he was in prison.
Sgt O’Sullivan said: “He made specific and detailed directions of the garda’s address and neighbouring properties and said he would have his head.”
Defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her client wants to impress on the court that he was drunk on the night.
Judge Fay refused to accept jurisdiction in the case and adjourned it to the 20 April sitting of the court for the service of a book of evidence.
