Man who made death threats to family of Cameron Blair jailed

A 46-year-old man was jailed for two years for phoning the family of Cameron Blair - who was murdered in Cork city in January last year - and making death threats.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed a sentence of three years with the last year suspended on Noel Barry of Cherry Tree Rd, Togher, Cork, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The judge said, “The call was calculated to cause maximum grief.” 

Detective Inspector Daniel Coholan testified that just before 11 pm on the night of September 4, 2020, Noel Barry rang Noel Blair in a call that lasted 44 seconds in which he said, “You better be standing beside your wife and other son with a fire extinguisher. They will be burned.” 

The caller went on to say that a Loyalist should not threaten a Republican.

Kathy Blair said in a victim statement, “I thought I was going to collapse and felt physically sick thinking I could lose my remaining son. As a mother I felt like a failure for not being to protect my child against such horror.

“I often lie awake at night and vividly remember that call. It is impossible to unhear what Noel Barry said. How could you?” 

Defence barrister Sinead Behan said Noel Barry had a longstanding drinking problem. 

He said the Blair family had suffered enough and he was sorry for what he did.