Text threats to gardaí case dismissed

A 38-year-old man had four counts of sending threatening text messages to gardaí dismissed by a judge because the prosecution failed to prove they were sent within the State.

Kevin O’Keeffe, from Clongeel Lower, Boherbue, Mallow, Co Cork, appeared before a special sitting of Fermoy District Court yesterday at which he also faced three charges of stealing mobile phone credit from an elderly neighbour.

At the onset of the proceedings, defence solicitor Charlie O’Connor objected to the summons, which he called “a nonsense” because they stated the texts had been sent from a place unknown within the State, but within the district court area of Mallow. After a recess, Judge Tim Lucey agreed with an application from Insp Tony O’Sullivan to delete the Mallow area reference.