THREAT TO KILL | 

Dublin man pleads guilty after threatening to petrol bomb garda’s house

Mon 5 Jun 2023 at 14:20

A man threatened to petrol bomb a garda’s house when officers attended an emergency services call, a court has heard.

David O’Sullivan (29) made the threat to gardaí while acting erratically during an incident in north Dublin.

The case against him was adjourned for a victim impact statement.

O’Sullivan, of Offington Manor, Sutton, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a garda and threatening to cause criminal damage to his home.

Garda Sergeant Tony Flanagan told Dublin District Court gardaí were called to a residence on Harbour Road, Howth, on April 19 last year, where the accused had contacted emergency services “regarding himself”.

He was acting in a very erratic manner and “appeared to be under the influence of some kind of intoxicant”.

While gardaí were there, he issued threats to one of the officers.

“He threatened to petrol bomb [the garda’s] residence and said that he knew where he lived,” Sgt Flanagan said.

O’Sullivan was arrested and charged.

The sergeant said the DPP was consenting to the case being heard at district court level subject to the judge accepting jurisdiction.

Judge Bryan Smyth accepted jurisdiction.

The court heard the accused had previous public order convictions. The prosecution was seeking an adjournment to canvas the garda involved for a victim impact statement.

The judge remanded the accused on continuing bail to a date later next month, when mitigation will be heard before the case is finalised.

The accused had been ordered to stay out of Howth under bail terms but at the request of his lawyer, Judge Smyth agreed to relax this condition to allow him to go there to visit his daughter, but for “that purpose only”.

The court heard O’Sullivan had been abiding by his bail terms to date.