'I hope you die roaring': Man who threatened garda in court sentenced to 20 months

A man followed a garda around a court room shouting that he hoped she would “get run over by a bus”, a court has heard.

John Gavin (31) of Moyne Park, Moyne Road, Baldoyle, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to threatening Garda Sergeant Amanda Flood at Four Courts, Chancery Street, on May 29, 2015.

Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Gavin to 20 months imprisonment, to run consecutive to a six year sentence he is currently serving after being convicted by a jury of an offence of rape.

Garda Sergeant Ronan Walton told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question, Gavin attended a hearing during a court vacation in which a judge revoked his bail.

I hope you get run over by a bus

Gavin started shouting that the law was corrupt. Sgt Flood, who was the only garda in the court room, tried to talk to him and he became aggressive towards her and began to shout obscenities while following her around the court.

“I hope you get run over by a bus,” he told Sgt Flood. He also told her he would “smash this court up” and said “I hope you die roaring”, only relenting when additional gardaí arrived.

In a victim impact statement, which was read out in court, Sgt Flood said that no incident had affected her as much as this one in her 15 years as a garda. She said she moved back to her family home for a few weeks after the incident.

Gavin has 108 previous convictions, including convictions for assault causing harm and violent disorder. He is currently serving a six year sentence for a conviction by a jury of rape and he had been scheduled for release on October 18, 2021.

Addressing the court, Gavin apologised and said his actions were very disrespectful. “I don't know what happened, I wasn't taking my medication”, Gavin said.

Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, said his client had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was currently taking anti-psychotic medication. Gavin is married and has three children.

Judge Nolan said that Gavin “looks to be a powerfully built man” and that it was probably beyond the sergeant to restrain him. He said he was satisfied that even the most resilient of people would have been intimidated.

He said it was “unfortunate that there weren't people there to save Mr Gavin from himself”, but that everyone was responsible for their own actions.