Man in HIV threat to gardaí

A Dublin man threatened gardaí he would infect them with HIV after he was caught trespassing at the home of U2 drummer Larry Mullen while armed with a golf club, a court has heard.

Gerard O’Neill, 31, of Orchid House, James St, Dublin 8, was “foaming at the mouth” when he resisted arrest and threatened the officers who responded to a 6am report of intruders on the grounds of the drummer’s home.

He was found guilty yesterday of trespassing at Claremont Lodge, Claremont Rd, Howth, north Co Dublin, on October 19.

He was also found guilty at Dublin District Court on other charges in connection with the incident, resisting arrest and production of a golf club as a weapon capable of causing injury. He was also guilty of failing to appear in court on three occasions, the court held and he had 55 previous convictions.

Judge Ryan deferred ruling on the remaining charge of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Garda Stephen Donnelly and Garda Aishling O’Neill.

He has been remanded in custody and the case will be finalised on a later date. The ruling could lead to a suspended sentence being activated, the court heard.

Gda Stephen Donnelly said he arrived with Gda Aishling O’Neill and O’Neill came out of bushes and “he had a golf club which he held aloft”.

He feared O’Neill would use it as a weapon against him and his colleague and yelled at him several times to drop the club.

“I had to draw my official baton,” he said. Gda Donnelly said that eventually O’Neill put the club down.

The gardaí then noticed O’Neill’s partner emerging and she was arrested.

At this point O’Neill became aggressive and “threatened to kill gardaí”.

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