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Martin ‘Viper’ Foley barred from setting foot in Wexford town over debt threats

Both Foley and his wife Sonia were present at Wexford Circuit Court when Foley’s case was called before Judge James McCourt.

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VETERAN gangster Martin ‘The Viper’ Foley has been banned from setting foot in Wexford town for a period of one year as he received a suspended sentence for his role in an incident during which a man was threatened his throat would be slit.

The 67-year-old debt collector pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour arising from the incident in which a ‘heavy’ for his company, Viper Debt Recovery, made the threat in an effort to recover a €4,000 debt from a tenant who had fallen behind on his rent to his landlord.

Crumlin man Foley, formerly regarded as one of Ireland’s most notorious gangland criminal’s, faced a maximum sentence of three months in prison in respect of the offence.

Both Foley and his wife Sonia were present at Wexford Circuit Court when Foley’s case was called before Judge James McCourt.

Sitting in the dock in a pair of navy slacks, blue open neck shirt and dark coloured blazer, Foley cut a relaxed figure as Judge McCourt noted all bar one of the charges, initially preferred against him, had been dropped.

Confirming this to be the case, prosecuting barrister Sinead Gleeson said the only charge remaining before the court for sentence was a section 6 public order offence.

A charge alleging Foley had made a threat to kill tenant Nigel Doolin on the day of the incident was dropped previously.

Foley had pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with an intent to provoke a breach of the peace or being reckless as to whether such a breach of the peace at 20 Holly Walk, Cromwellsfort Grove, Wexford on June 17, 2020.

Foley’s co-accused Alan Nulty had already pleaded guilty and been sentenced for making the threat to kill.

Nulty was working for Viper Debt Recovery — a company founded by Martin Foley — when he threatened tenant Mr Doolin he would ‘have his throat slit while he walked his dog’ if he didn’t come up with €4,000 in rent arrears.

Nulty uttered that threat, and another that he would “get someone to smash your head with a hammer” while attempting to collect the debt.

Nulty dodged a jail sentence for the offences, which carry a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, after the court heard he had ‘no intention of carrying out the threats.’

At this morning’s sitting, prosecuting barrister Sinead Gleeson said the charge against Foley arose “in relation to talk of putting the door in” of Mr. Doolin’s apartment.

She said although this did not occur, the words constituted threatening or abusive behaviour.”

Defence barrister Patricia Lee said recordings, made by Mr. Doolin, showed her client had walked away before the threats to kill Mr. Doolin had been made.

She said he could be heard on the tape, prior to these threats being made, saying: “I’m annoyed … I’m going to walk away!”

Ms. Lee said that although the court had heard that Foley has 62 previous offences, 41 were for driving matters, and his most recent conviction for threatening and abusive behaviour occurred 21 years ago.

She said her client ‘regrets and apologises for the disturbance caused.’

She said he had €500 with him in court as a token of his remorse.

She added that her client is 67 years old, has an eight year old daughter, and now only works part time or two days a week.

Noting that Foley had co-operated with gardai, made admissions and offered a plea, Judge McCourt said the appropriate sentence was three months in prison but he said he felt he should suspend this in its entirety subject to a number of conditions.

He ordered that Foley not enter Wexford town or its environs for a period of a year, that he have no further contact with the victim, that he pay the sum of €500 to the Cornmarket Project in Wexford town and that he enter a bond of €2000 to keep the peace.

Nicknamed ‘The Viper’, Martin Foley has 62 convictions for offences including assault, robbery and possession of threatening weapons.

The vast majority of his convictions are road traffic related.

In 2020, he was ordered to pay €738,449 in tax, interest and penalties after losing a Supreme Court appeal against a Criminal Assets Bureau tax bill