Men with pitbull pushed way into Cork house; both jailed today

TWO men with a pitbull terrier pushed their way into a woman’s family home in Millstreet, demanding payment of a drugs debt late at night — today they were both jailed for two years.

Detective Garda Donal Dwyer gave evidence of the visit made by Wiktor Kaczmarczyk of Castle-park, Ballincollig, Co Cork, and David McCoy, of no fixed address, to the house in Millstreet, Co Cork, on September 1, 2017.

A child answered the late-night knock at the door and then the owner immediately went downstairs to see the two accused, an unidentified woman, and the dog at her front door.

They were looking for a young man who was not there, and she told them he was away for the weekend. She repeatedly told them not to come in, but they pushed their way in.

McCoy did not use his hands but pushed her using his chest until she had retreated as far as the kitchen. McCoy was wearing a knuckleduster on his hand and he banged the kitchen table with it.

Kaczmarczyk had the pitbull and after a while, he took the dog to the car outside. The detective said this defendant realised that things had gotten out of hand

Det Garda Dwyer said the woman recognised Kaczmarczyk and she managed to photograph McCoy with her phone.

She said they threatened to come back and burn the house.

On investigation, it turned out that the defendants had met in a pub in Cork City and got talking. Kaczmarczyk complained that he was owed money for drugs and could not get the payment. McCoy suggested they go there and then to Millstreet to collect it.

When gardaí examined Kaczmarczyk’s bank account, they saw a lodgement of €4,800 from the man they had been looking for in Millstreet.

Brian Leahy, defence barrister, said Kaczmarczyk, aged 37, had been diagnosed with ADHD and was self-medicating with alcohol.

Sinéad Behan, barrister for McCoy, aged 38, said he had a chronic alcohol problem and was living in hostel accommodation.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said making a demand for money with menaces necessitated a prison sentence.

“Going to a people’s houses to collect drug debts from them or members of their families, there has to be a prison sentence. It is a type of behaviour civilised society cannot accept,” the judge said.