Brothers abused neighbour during standoff, court told

Two brothers are alleged to have challenged their neighbour by calling him “an English bastard”, while one of them is accused of threatening to run over the man’s son with a car.

Kilkenny men Liam, 34, and Mark Delahunty, 33, contested public order charges in relation to a dispute with Mark Sweeney.

The charges against the men at Waterford District Court yesterday relate to a row at what Mr Sweeney said is “a single-track lane” on July 23, 2012.

He alleges that when he was turning his car to leave the lane, a girlfriend of the defendants’ brother wedged his car between her vehicle and his wall. When he asked Michelle Lannon to “back up”, she refused, he alleged.

Mark Delahunty arrived “and abused me”, said Mr Sweeney. “He was saying: ‘Fuck off you English bastard’. He was... trying to intimidate me.”

Shortly afterwards, Liam Delahunty turned up, along with a third man.

Mr Sweeney’s wife Melanie said she heard Liam Delahunty threaten her son, aged 12. She said he told him: “When I see you on the road... I’m going to run you down.”