Judge considers final chance for hoax bomb threat man

A chronic alcoholic with 64 convictions has been given “one more chance” after he was caught calling in multiple hoax bomb scares on his ex-girlfriend’s house.

The court heard that Sean Fahy (aged 43) only starting offending when he was 38 and ran up the convictions because of his drink problem.

Evidence was heard in the case last May and Fahy was released on bail pending sentence to prove he could stay out of trouble. Since then he has been charged with 15 offences including theft and criminal damage.

He also failed to show up for the finalisation of his sentence in July. He was arrested shortly afterwards while drunk in the grounds of Dublin Airport.

Fahy of Drumcondra Road Lower had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making a false report to gardaí and Dublin Fire Brigade on June 27, 2010.

Today Judge Martin Nolan agreed to give him a final chance after extensive pleading from Fahy’s defence counsel who said he is determined to address his problems.

Anita Kilgallon BL, defending, told the court that she has seen “a change” in her client that he has done everything possible to address his drinking.

“This man has over 50 convictions,” Judge Nolan said. “How many chances should someone get?"

“Perhaps one final chance”, counsel replied.

Judge Nolan agreed to release Fahy on condition a clear recovery plan is laid out beforehand. He remanded him in custody for another week so details could be gathered on where Fahy will stay and what treatment courses he will go on.

“In my view people are only entitled to so many chances,” the judge commented. “He’s got a lot more than he should have been given but I’ll give him one more.

“In my own view I’m being extremely lenient. It’s the first day back (of the legal term), it’s not a bad day to come before me.”

At the sentence hearing in May the court heard Fahy made a false report to the Garda Control Centre at Harcourt Square that there was a domestic dispute happening at house where his former girlfriend lived.

He also rang Dublin Fire Brigade to report a bomb outside the same house.

At the May hearing Garda Damien O’Reilly told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that Fahy made the hoax calls within hours of each other while he was drunk.

Gardaí arrived at the address Fahy gave them and the house owner knew nothing about the alleged domestic dispute or the bomb.

While gardaí were speaking to the house owner, Fahy rang the woman asking her had she any visitors. Fahy then made two further phone calls to Dublin Fire Brigade stating a bomb was outside the same address he had given to gardai initially.

“He attempted to give the operator a different phone number but his mobile number was identified through caller ID,” explained Gda O’Reilly.

“Listening to the calls, he appeared to be getting drunker and drunker,” he said.

Fahy told gardaí he “couldn’t remember” making the calls and could not explain the motivation behind it.