Man spared jail for threatening comments to garda

THE Cork man who made sexually explicit comments of a threatening nature to a member of An Garda Síochána in relation to the officer’s wife and children was ordered to do 200 hours of community service.

Graham O’Callaghan, aged 28, said at Cork District Court: “Your honour, I am absolutely shocked at what I said. I am appalled by it.”

He said he had been off drink for the past 18 months because he had a problem with it.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer said the accused had gone to Anglesea Garda Station with a letter of apology for the garda.

Judge Olann Kelleher said he had in mind imposing a prison sentence. However, he said that the defendant appeared to be showing some signs of remorse, “which he did not have at the start when he was acting the hard chaw”.

O’Callaghan pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on March 3, 2020, but claimed he could not remember what he said on the night.

Judge Kelleher said he could do the 200 hours of community service on the threatening charge and he was fined €500 for being drunk and a source of danger.

O’Callaghan, of 48 Courtown Drive, Knocknaheeny, Cork, was involved in an incident that occurred on Washington Street, Cork, when gardaí were dealing with a disturbance on the night of November 20, 2019.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis said that security personnel at a licensed premises had refused O’Callaghan entry.

O’Callaghan then got aggressive and refused to move away from the area when he was asked to leave.

Sgt Davis said the young man was extremely intoxicated and turned his aggression on gardaí when they arrived.

He called one officer “a f**king bollocks and f**king gomie.”

O’Callaghan then turned to another guard and made threatening and insulting comments that were sexual in nature about what he would do to the officer’s wife and children.