Cork court: Man threatened teens that he’d ‘finish them’

Teenagers in Cork city were threatened by a 44-year-old man at The Square in Blarney that he would “finish them”.

Sergeant Aisling Murphy said, at Cork District Court, that when gardaí arrived at the scene to restore order, Cormac Fitzpatrick said he would finish them as well.

Judge Mary Dorgan put the accused on a nine-month probation bond, with a requirement to attend all meetings required, in particular for addiction.

The incident occurred on April 3, 2024, when he was harassing members of the public. “He was slouched on a bench and was unable to hold himself up and he was in possession of a crutch.

“As gardaí were speaking with him, he became highly abusive to a group of teenagers who were close by. He then said about them and to the guard, ‘I’ll finish them and I’ll finish you’,” Sgt Murphy said.

He pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour and being drunk and a danger to himself or others.

There was a similar incident at Oliver Plunkett St on February 26 this year, when he said to a member of An Garda Síochána, “You are going to die, you c***.”

And on a third occasion, last month, on March 14, at St Patrick’s Quay, Cork, he again committed the offences of being threatening and being drunk and a danger.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the accused was living at supported accommodation at South Terrace, arranged through Housing First. 

“He asked me to apologise for his behaviour, which is affected quite badly by alcohol. He does get a lot of support from Housing First and the Churchfield Trust,” Mr Buttimer said.