Cavan man convicted of intimidation

A Cavan man has been convicted by a jury of intimidating his former flatmate arising out of a stabbing incident following the 2004 All-Ireland Football Final between Mayo and Kerry.

Tim Cawley (aged 24), with an address at North Circular Road, Phibsboro was found guilty on two charges of intimidating Mr Michael Irwin, a native of Bellmullet, Co Mayo, on January 2, 2005 with the intention of perverting the course of justice.

The jury had heard evidence that he tried to get Mr Irwin to withdraw a statement he made to gardaí that he saw Cawley stab someone else following the 2004 All-Ireland Football Final between Mayo and Kerry.

The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury returned its verdicts following some four hours deliberation and after spending one night in a hotel. The intimidation was through mobile phone text messages.

Judge Tony Hunt remanded Cawley who is currently serving a sentence for a drugs offence in custody for sentence later on this matter and directed the preparation of reports for that hearing.

Cawley was found not guilty on two charges of threatening to kill Mr Irwin on January 5 and 9, 2005 and on three further counts of intimidating him.

The jury was told during the five-day hearing that Cawley was acquitted by another jury of the stabbing charge after a trial in which Mr Irwin gave evidence.

Cawley claimed that the stabbing was carried out by Mr Irwin but this claim was totally rejected by Detective Inspector Colm Fox who said Mr Irwin had nothing to do with it and that the allegation was completely false.