‘COMPLICATED CASE’ | 

Landlord (80) accused of ‘lunging’ at tenant with saw could face seven years in jail

“It’s a complicated case,” he said, “an allegation involving a tenant and a landlord.”

Patrick O’Connell

Yesterday at 12:58

A PENSIONER landlord accused of ‘lunging’ at a tenant with a circular saw could have his case moved to the circuit court – where the offence on which he is charged carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison.

Eighty-year-old Thomas Walsh, with an address in Salthill, Galway, appeared before Ballinasloe District Court on Thursday charged with an offence contrary to section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Act 1997.

The court previously heard it had been alleged that Walsh, on April 17, 2023, at the Aonoch apartments, Dunlo Hill, Ballinasloe, did intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct.

The conduct alleged was that he lunged at Mr Muhammed Raheel while operating a power hand-saw in an aggressive and threatening manner which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

After the case was called, Judge James Faughnan was informed by gardai that they were still awaiting ‘directions’ from the DPP as to whether the case should be heard at district or circuit court level.

If found guilty of section endangerment at district court level, an accused faces a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison and a €1,500 fine.

However, if the DPP decides the matter is too serious to be heard in the district court, or a judge refuses jurisdiction and sends it forward to the circuit court, the maximum penalty rises to seven years.

The court was told, pending the receipt of directions from the DPP, gardai were requesting a two-month adjournment.

Counsel for Walsh told Judge James Faughnan his client had no objections to this.

“It’s a complicated case,” he said, “an allegation involving a tenant and a landlord.”

Walsh was originally charged on April 20 of this year, three days after footage emerged on social media showing a circular saw being used to cut through the front door of a property rented by Portiuncula Hospital surgeon Dr Muhammed Raheel Bethel, his wife and two young daughters

In the clip shared online, a man issued a number of threats to Dr Raheel while wielding a circular saw at the front door of his property.

At the start of the shared video, the blade from a circular saw can be seen from inside, cutting through the door alongside the lock.

A man is seen brandishing a saw was caught on camera at the front door of Dr Raheel’s home

Dr Raheel then tells a man standing outside: “Stay there, I’m going to call the guards.”

The man responds: “Go on, yeah go on.”

Again, urged to stay there by Dr Raheel, the man responds: “No, no. This is my plan. You go to hell!”

Dr Raheel again tells the man: “You cannot do this,” but the man repeats: “You go to hell!”

The man then switches on the circular saw and appears to raise it before moving forwards in Dr Raheel’s direction.

“Are you mad?” asks the startled doctor in the footage.

“I am!” the man replies.

“I’m mad at you. You think I wouldn’t do it?

“I’ll f**king split you open you b**tard. You got it?

“Call the guards. Go on, call the f**king guards.

“I don’t give a sh*t about your family or nothing.

“You will lose more than you have ever lost.”

At Thursday’s sitting in Ballinasloe, Judge Faughnan remanded Walsh on bail to appear again on July 27.