Threat to 'dance' on Cork garda's head lands so-called CIA operative with 150 names in jail

The court also heard there were bench warrants issued from Dublin for the arrest of the accused in relation to other matters

Judge Colm Roberts convicted the man he described as “Fahd Ayat, otherwise James Mack, otherwise 150 other names” on the charge of engaging in threatening behaviour and jailed him for one month. File picture: Larry Cummins

A self-described CIA operative using 150 aliases accused a garda of lying that he threatened to dance on his head but said that “being part of a higher law enforcement authority I am not in the business of ruining other member’s careers.” 

Judge Colm Roberts convicted the man he described as “Fahd Ayat, otherwise James Mack, otherwise 150 other names” on the charge of engaging in threatening behaviour and jailed him for one month.

Judge Roberts said he totally accepted the evidence given to him by Garda Ray Prendiville about what occurred at Strawberry Hill in Monkstown, County Cork, on Sunday night, September 4.

By contrast, the judge found the defendant’s evidence to be “grandiose, inconsistent, unreliable and particularly opportunistic in his allegations about the guards.” The defendant had told the court he was living at the American embassy in Dublin, is a CIA operative and is CEO of an international company with assets of €15 billion, having high level military contracts in America, France and Israel.

Before imposing the one-month penalty, the judge asked if the accused had any previous convictions. Sergeant Pat Lyons said the accused had 26 convictions, most recently for a similar offence of engaging in threatening behaviour in Dublin, for which he was fined €500. 

His most serious conviction dated back to February 11, 2013, when he was jailed for robbery for five years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said there did appear to be some background connection where someone knew him in Monkstown resulting in him calling to a house there on Sunday evening. Mr Buttimer said: “There was something bizarre going on with Mr Mack. What that was – goodness knows.” 

Garda testimony

Garda Prendiville responded to a call about a disturbance at Strawberry Hill in Monkstown and a complaint that a man was not welcome at a property there. The garda said a lot of neighbours were present on the laneway outside the house and that the defendant threatened him there, saying: “I will kill you. I will dance on your f***ing head.” 

Garda Prendiville said the accused man stood very close to him and his behaviour was erratic and threatening. The defendant testified that he was never threatening and that he was assaulted by having his head struck against a wall and being struck in the ribs with a baton.

Garda Prendiville said that at no point did he assault the defendant and he did not see anyone else assault him either. “He was never assaulted by gardaí,” he said.

Bench warrants

The defendant said previously that a couple in Monkstown owed his company $15 million for high-level security services and that on the date he visited they were going to give him the deeds to a property in Monkstown as security for the alleged debt.

As the accused was about to be taken back into custody, Sgt Lyons said there were bench warrants issued from Dublin for the arrest of the accused in relation to other matters. On the sergeant’s application, Judge Roberts remanded the accused in custody to appear at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin next week on those matters.