Cork man said he hoped garda’s wife and children would all ‘die a horrible death’

A CORK man told a member of An Garda Síochána that he hoped that the guard’s wife and children would all “die a horrible death.”

The same man has been convicted more than 100 times for the offence of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

Francis Kearns, aged 57, has pleaded guilty to this latest count of threatening behaviour. Sergeant John Kelleher said the accused man had a total of 274 convictions and that 107 of them were for threatening behaviour under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, and 137 for being drunk to the extent that he was a danger to himself or others.

Aggravating the latest offence is the fact that the accused had a suspended prison sentence hanging over him on three more serious threat charges of threatening to kill or cause harm. Mr Kearns got a two-year suspended sentence in November 23 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The latest outburst from Francis Kearns will now trigger an application at the circuit court to have the suspended sentence activated because he did not keep the peace as required under a condition of the suspension.

Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said the accused could not metabolise alcohol and that consuming even a small amount resulted in intoxication.

“He can’t keep his mouth shut after alcohol. I know he says dreadful things to the gardaí,” the solicitor said.

Judge Mary Dorgan noted that Francis Kearns, of Mount Rivers, Carrigaline, county Cork, is already before the probation service on other matters. The judge requested that a probation report would be prepared on the accused in advance of sentencing.

Judge Dorgan said that in preparing their report the Probation Service needed to be made aware of the gravity of the threatening offence in the present case.

Sentencing was then adjourned until June 11 at Cork District Court.

Sergeant Kelleher said the recent offence occurred on March 6 when gardaí responded to a panic alarm at O’Herlihy’s Centra on Grand Parade. Kearns was shouting at members of staff and the public.

Told to desist he shouted at one member of An Garda Síochána, “F*** you, you c***, you bastard. F*** your wife and your children. I hope they die a horrible death.”

He shouted this repeatedly at the garda.