Man jailed after telling garda 'I hope you and your family get cancer'

In a clear reference to the burial of cervical cancer victim and mother of five, Emma Mhic Mhathúna taking place on Wednesday, Judge Patrick Durcan said: “On today of all days.”

By Gordon Deegan

A judge in Ennis District Court today jailed for two months a 38-year-old Ennis man who told a Garda “I hope you and your family get cancer”.

In a clear reference to the burial of cervical cancer victim and mother of five,

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He continued: “On today of all days when flags are flying at half mast at Government buildings, when so many people in this courtroom and across the country are affected by all that has happened and by ill-health generally, we get an appalling comment like this.”

Judge Durcan repeated in court what father of two, Patrick Maughan of Stonecourt, Drumbiggle said to Garda Declan Keavey on August 6 last at Abbey Street in Ennis.

Judge Durcan said: “Mr Maughan told the Garda ‘I hope you and your family get cancer’. In the seven years sitting here, I don’t think I have had outlined in the context of a public order charge a more appalling diktat than what was directed at Garda Keavey.”

Judge Durcan said that such words “make me quiver and feel terribly sad”.

In the case, Mr Maughan pleaded guilty to two public order offences from the incident and Sgt Aiden Lonergan said that on August 6 last, Mr Maughan was in a heated argument with two others on Ennis’s Abbey Street when Garda Keavey arrived and attempted to defuse matters.

Sgt Lonergan said that Mr Maughan was extremely intoxicated and made the ‘cancer’ comment to Garda Keavey.

Sgt Lonergan said that when Mr Maughan was arrested and brought to Ennis Garda Station where he urinated on the mattress in his prison cell.

Sgt Lonergan stated that Mr Maughan has 43 previous convictions that include a number of public order offences.

Solicitor for Mr Maughan, Tara Godfrey said her client unreservedly apologises for the 'cancer' comment and urinating on the mattress.

In court, Mr Maughan said: "I'm sorry for what I said."

Ms Godfrey said: “Mr Maughan is somebody who lost three brothers to suicide and someone who in the past has had a very bad drink problem and that has informed every bad decision he made up to a certain point in his life."

She said: “He has had an extended period of sobriety until this date and things became too much for him."

She said that her client is a father of two and is currently homeless.

Judge Durcan said: “I sympathise with Mr Maughan on those tragedies but it is rather paradoxical that it was members of the Garda who were there to assist his family for those tragedies and now he visits on the Garda the most awful language.