Corkman who told garda 'uniform won't protect her' gets 12 months in prison

The court heard that the man also "spat in her direction, called her a prostitute and whore and said that her family were prostitutes and whores”

The man was drunk and verbally abusive to another garda. File picture

A 50-year-old Cork man threatened a garda that her uniform would not protect her and warned that “he would do six years in prison for her”. 

Now he has been jailed for a total of 12 months at Cork District Court for this threat and another incident where he spat in the direction of a garda and called her "a whore and a prostitute". The same man, Paul McCarthy, pleaded guilty to these offences and to other charges including stealing beer kegs from outside Cork city pubs on two separate occasions.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a jail term totalling 12 months on Paul McCarthy who was living with homeless services in Cork.

Sergeant John Kelleher said that on May 24 gardaí were approached by a member of the public who showed them a picture from her mobile phone of a beer keg being stolen from outside The Pavilion on Carey’s Lane, valued at €130.

Similarly, he stole a beer keg on Tobin Street by placing it in a wheelie bin. It was later found at Hanover Street, half empty, on June 13.

He stole a t-shirt on June 7 at Penney’s on St. Patrick’s Street while on the same day he was drunk and a danger and stole a €25 bottle of vodka at Tesco on Paul Street. The following day at St. Patrick’s Street he was drunk and a danger and approached by a garda.

Sgt Kelleher said:

He said her uniform does not protect her and he would do six years in prison for her. 

"He was shouting and roaring at members of the public who were present. This happened at around 6pm. On June 20 he stole a €34 bottle of vodka at Tesco, Paul Street.

“On June 22 he was drunk and verbally abusive to another garda. He spat in her direction, called her a prostitute and whore and said that her family were prostitutes and whores.”

Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said that shortly before these incidents, the accused had only been released from another prison term and fell immediately into homelessness and returned to alcohol addiction.

Mr Buttimer said that as a result of alcohol, the accused now had serious health problems.