Ex Cork hurling manager threatened with 'bullet in the head', court hears

Former Cork hurling boss Gerald McCarthy was told he would get a bullet in the back of the head if he did not stand down as manager, when he received a threatening phone call Cork District Court heard today.

Sergeant Martin Canny testified that Mr McCarthy’s son, Paul McCarthy (aged 28) picked up the call at 9.24pm on March 5, 2009, at the height of the dispute with the 2008 panel.

“A caller with a Northern accent asked was that the home of Gerald McCarthy, Cork hurling manager. When he was told that it was, the caller said: 'This is the Continuity IRA in Co Tyrone. If he doesn’t step down as manager of Cork he is going to get a bullet in the back of the head',” Sgt Canny said.

Trevor O’Reilly (aged 30) who is living with the Simon Community in Cork, pleaded guilty to the charge of sending a message by phone to Gerald McCarthy which was menacing in character.

Sgt. Canny said the call was traced to O’Reilly’s phone and that the defendant co-operated with the investigation. Initially he admitted making the call but denied making any threat. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to making the threatening call.

Judge Con O’Leary wanted to know if Gerald McCarthy took the threat seriously. Sgt. Canny replied: “He did take seriously, he was very distressed when I spoke to him and his family were very distressed.

Defence solicitor, Tom Coughlan, said the defendant was a paranoid schizophrenic and would not have had the capacity to carry out such a threat. Sgt Canny agreed that O’Reilly had no contacts with any subversive organisation that would be able to carry out that threat.

“What was his thinking? Was it his own idea? If he had mental health issues was it suggested to him by someone else?” Judge O’Leary asked.

Mr Coughlan said his view was that it was suggested to him that this was something he should do and he also expressed the view that a second person’s voice appeared to have been on the call. However, O’Reilly accepted his responsibility for it.

O’Reilly’s parents had a protection order against him and he was convicted of breaching that order three times since 2004. Mr Coughlan said there was no violence on those occasions but O’Reilly did make unwanted contact.

Judge O’Leary put sentencing back to December 3 for a probation report and indicated that he had in mind imposing a community service order instead of a jail sentence. The judge also asked for a victim impact report and he suggested the defence should supply a psychiatric report on O’Reilly.

The defendant was remanded on continuing bail until then on condition that he would have no contact with Gerald McCarthy or any member of his family.

The single charge to which O’Reilly pleaded guilty was that on March 5 at Anderson’s Quay, Cork, he sent a message by phone to Gerald McCarthy which was menacing in character, contrary to various Postal and Telecommunication Services Acts and amendments.