Suspended sentence for hoax bomb caller

A chronic alcoholic with 64 convictions has being given a suspended sentence after admitting calling in hoax bomb scares on his ex-girlfriend’s house.

Sean Fahy (43) 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.

At an earlier hearing 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.

Brian Lynch from the Victory Outreach residential treatment programme told Anita Kilgallon BL, defending, that they had a treatment place ready for Fahy.

The court heard that 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.

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 gardaí initially.

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

Ms Kilgallon told Judge Nolan that Fahy, who has amassed all his 62 previous convictions since 2007, had lived in America for a time and worked as a carpenter.

“All of his convictions relate to his chronic alcoholism,” added Ms Kilgallon.