Man threatened to kill knife-slash victim, court hears

A convicted robber currently serving eight years in jail for slashing a young man's face leaving him permanently scarred has received a further six months for issuing a threat in court to kill his victim.

Edward McElligott (aged 36), of Crannoge Close, Ballymun issued the threat to kill his victim at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on July 4 last year during the hearing of evidence the knife assault case.

Garda Sean O'Mahony told Ms Marie Torrens BL, prosecuting, that he overheard McElligott say to the victim "you are getting a bullet" during an adjournment in the proceedings.

Gda O'Mahony said his priority when he heard this was to remove the victim to safety. The victim told him he believed McElligott would kill him or try to kill him.

He then arrested McElligott outside the court and charged him with making the threat. McElligott who has 67 previous convictions dating back to 1985, including firearms and robbery charges, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to issuing the threat to kill.

Gda O'Mahony agreed with Mr Breffni Gordon BL, defending, that there was a "history" between the two men.

Mr Gordon submitted that McElligott's circumstances were "bleak". He said he was not due to be released until 2012 and his partner was finding it very difficult to cope with one of their children who is seriously ill.

He said McElligott was addressing his alcohol problem and hoped to re-enter society as an acceptable member of the community.

Judge Desmond Hogan imposed six months imprisonment on the threat to kill charge and this is to be served at the end of McElligott's current sentence.

Judge Michael White imposed a total of eight years imprisonment in consecutive sentences last November on charges of assaulting the victim causing him harm at Balcurris Road on December 19, 2003 and of possession of a sawn off shotgun at Balcurris Road on December 5, 2003.

Garda Brendan Twyford told Judge White at that hearing that McElligott approached the then 19 year-old victim as he stood talking to friends. Without warning he slashed a knife down the left hand side of his victim's face leaving him with a scar running from his ear to his lip.

The victim was treated in hospital and received a blood transfusion as a result of the wound. Judge White noted he would have to live with a very prominent scar for the rest of his life.

Gda Adrian Mulligan said that in the other case McElligott had a sawn off shotgun and was with a group of men in a residential area outside flats in Ballymun when the shotgun was fired indiscriminately. Gardaí described him as drunk at the time.