Man convicted by jury of threatening to kill dentist

A jury has found a man guilty of threatening to kill an Ennis dentist.

At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, a jury took 45 minutes to find Eoin Hannan, aged 41, of Kilrush Road, Ennis, Co Clare, guilty of threatening to kill Dr Tony Cotgreave at his surgery on May 11, 2012.

The jury also found Hannan guilty in relation to two public order offences on May 10 and May 11 at the dentist’s surgery.

The jury found him not guilty of threatening to burn down Dr Cotgreave’s dental practice.

During the trial, Dr Cotgreave said Hannan told him at his surgery on May 11: “I have a bullet for your head. Do you understand?” at the surgery.

The dentist said after the accused made his threat on the Friday lunchtime. “I did go home that night and believe that my life was at risk.”

Dr Cotgreave said Hannan had arrived at his surgery the previous day and told the court, “Looking back now two years on, it was like being on a film set because the vitriol from Mr Hannan was profound and offensive.”

Hannan made the threat to Dr Cotgreave seven months after Dr Cotgreave performed an emergency restoration on a tooth broken by a chicken bone.

In evidence yesterday, Hannan said that Dr Cotgreave gave him the impression that “I was going to end up a toothless gummy bear” after surgery at his clinic in September 2011.

“Dr Cotgreave told his dictaphone that basically all of my teeth were going to come out.”

Hannan said that Dr Cotgreave had insulted him and his teeth.

In the initial Garda interview, Hannan complained that Dr Cotgreave’s work was “a botched job” and that it was sloppy.

However, yesterday, Hannan said that: “In fairness, I have had the filing in for two years now. I cannot in conscience complain about the quality of the tooth. It was his bedside manner. I said that it was sloppy work and I would take that back if I could.”

Michael Collins, defending, told the jury yesterday that his client has been diagnosed by bi-polar effective disorder. Hannan told the court that the incident at the surgery could have been as a result of a bi-polar episode.

Hannan denied making the threats to Dr Cotgreave. “I told him ‘I am a bullet’ and I left as fast a bullet.”

Hannan told the jury he told Dr Cotgreave: “I told him to take his drills and get off my island.”

Judge Gerald Keyes remanded Hannan in custody to Ennis Circuit Court on Tuesday to consider an application for bail before setting a date for sentencing.