Man pleads guilty of threatening to kill woman

A MAN has pleaded guilty to two counts of threatening to kill the sister of murdered Limerick man Roy Collins.

However, Stephen O’Reilly (23), 4 Elmworth Court, Belhavel, Athlone, denies that he threatened to rape and slit the throat of Leanne Collins who was a hairdressing student in Athlone last year.

Mullingar Circuit Court heard how O’Reilly admitted telling Ms Collins that Limerick’s gangland figure Wayne Dundon would give him “good money” for killing her, but said he didn’t know Dundon.

The threat came after a row over a small amount of money which O’Reilly said Ms Collins owed him.

On April 12 last year, he chased her boyfriend for the money, allegedly with a hammer, and then warned her not to contact gardaí.

He later phoned her while she was at home and she told gardaí he threatened to rape her, slit her throat and shoot her.

While he was on High Court bail for that offence, he made a second threat to kill her, this time within earshot of a garda, though it was only Ms Collins who recognised his voice as he passed in a car on John Broderick St, Athlone on June 27.

Ms Collins was not in court but Detective Sergeant Eamon Curley, referring to her victim impact statement, said she had left Athlone because of intimidation.

He said Ms Collins believed the threats were real and said O’Reilly is friends with a man from Limerick who is friendly with the Dundons.

O’Reilly, who has 51 previous convictions, apologised for the threats and said he wished he could change what he had said.

In a text to O’Reilly on April 12, Ms Collins called him a scumbag and told him not to ring her again.

She said he shouldn’t have mentioned Wayne Dundon because he was the person who “got my brother shot” and this could get O’Reilly time in jail.

Judge Anthony Kennedy will pass sentence today.