Man acquitted of threatening to kill journalist

A man has been acquitted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to crime journalist Paul Williams.

James Walsh, (aged 46), of Mountain View Drive , Churchtown, Tallaght had pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill Mr Williams, the Crime Editor of the Sunday World, on June 25, 2003 and also threatening to cause him serious harm later the same day.

The jury of four men and seven women took one hour and thirty minutes to acquit Walsh on both charges on day-6 of the trial.

Judge Hogan thanked the jury for its "care and attention" during the case and discharged Walsh from the offences.

Walsh is currently serving a four year sentence he received on July 25, 2005 for attempting to influence the jury foreman in the trial of DPP v Sean Fitzgerald and Jason Black , heard from May 25, 2003 to June 4, 2003 before Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Fitzgerald (aged 55), of Dunmore Park, and Black (aged 30), of Tyrmonville Drive, both from Tallaght, were found guilty of handling a stolen car and setting fire to parts of it on dates unknown between May 20 and May 26, 1999 and were jailed for five years each on July 29, 2003.

Walsh was acquitted of attempting to pervert the course of justice in that trial by allegedly calling a brother of one of the juror members and asking him if the man could be "swung".