Man refused bail over alleged death threat against pregnant woman in Cork city

A death threat was allegedly made by a man with a knife to a pregnant woman who barricaded herself into a room at her home in Glenville, it was alleged yesterday, as gardaí objected to bail.

Detective Garda Dave Barry arrested Keith O’Leary at a house on Liam Healy Rd, Farranree, Cork, and charged him with making the death threat to the woman in the early hours of July 3. 

The defendant, who is originally from Glenville village in Co Cork, was also charged with production of a knife, damaging the house, and resisting arrest on the morning in question in Glenville. Judge Mary Dorgan refused bail and remanded Mr O’Leary in custody until September 18.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer argued that bail should be granted, saying that in an earlier charge brought against the defendant for making a death threat to a man on the same occasion, he was granted bail by the High Court, where precisely the same outline had been given of the background allegations.

Det Garda Barry said the objection to bail was being made in the context of new charges being brought yesterday. Judge Dorgan also said that it was in the context of these fresh counts that she was refusing bail.

After 4am on Thursday, July 3, gardaí responded to a 999 call from a pregnant woman and her partner that Mr O’Leary was present with a knife and was threatening to kill them.

It was alleged that he had a large kitchen knife in his hand and was actively stabbing at the bedroom door attempting to force entry to the room and that the woman’s partner was holding it shut, effectively barricading themselves from the defendant.

Det Garda Barry said a man could be heard screaming in the background of the recorded 999 call.

The detective alleged that Mr O’Leary was extremely aggressive, agitated, and confrontational, and he could not be reasoned with and was erratic. The armed support unit arrived within minutes and gardaí assessed an immediate risk to life and entered the property, where they located Mr O’Leary, who physically lashed out and was tasered in order for the arrest to be made.

During the incident, it was alleged the defendant could be heard shouting: “I’m going to get you”, and “I’m going to slit your throat”.

Called to give evidence in his bail application, Mr O’Leary was asked if he would abide by all conditions of bail as he had done in respect of earlier High Court bail on the original charge, and he replied: “Of course I will, 100%.”

In total, Mr O’Leary now faces two counts of threatening to kill, under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, production of a weapon, criminal damage, and resisting arrest.