Convictions ‘welcomed by Limerick people and gardaí’
Kevin McCarthy, who served as a national trustee of the GRA, said: “The convictions of these two would be very welcome by the decent people of Limerick and the members of the Garda Síochána who pulled out all the stops in this investigation.
“The convictions and sentences are to be welcomed. For the future, it might serve as a lesson that these people are not immune from prosecution irrespective of who they threaten, whether it is a member of the general public or members of their own grouping.”
Cllr John Gilligan (Ind) who attacked gang crime in Limerick when mayor of the city in 2008-09 also welcomed the sentences.
“Six years (to Wayne Dundon) is, I think, a serious sentence. When you think it was the done thing by these people to go around threatening everybody, but now they are getting six years for doing it.
“For far too long, people went around Limerick threatening everybody and they felt they could do it with impunity. Now they are getting sentences of six years and it will make them think again.”
Wayne Dundon, aged 33, of Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, received six years for making threats to Gareth Collins and Jimmy Collins, Jr on Sept 30, 2010, and intimidating April Collins and her mother Alice Collins on the same date.
John Dundon, aged 30, of Hyde Avenue, Prospect, got five-and-a-half years for threatening to kill April Collins at her home on Apr 3, 2011.
They were convicted after a three-week trial.
Former defence minister Willie O’Dea said: “These are pretty severe sentences and reflect the fact that these people can’t go around threatening people at will and it should certainly send out a message of reassurance to the public.
“These two sentences amount to a lot of days and nights. They might seem short to some people but, facing six and five-and-a-half years’ deprivation of your freedom is a long time and reflects how seriously the court takes these crimes.”
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