No extra prison time for teen who tried to flee when arrested over death threats

At the height of the harassment, accused sent texts to victim even as gardaí were physically present in his home warning him to desist

The court heard the accused panicked when he was arrested and tried to flee. File picture

A teenager who panicked when he was arrested for harassment and death threats to another teenager tried to flee from gardaí at Cork District Court but was apprehended despite his strenuous resistance.

Defence solicitor, Shane Collins-Daly, said Rory Lally, 19, was sentenced to a total of 15 months in prison for the harassment and for having knives in his possession. 

Lally was pleading guilty to the charge of resisting arrest at Anglesea Street courthouse on February 28.

Mr Collins-Daly asked Judge Mary Dorgan not to increase the defendant’s prison sentence in the context of being jailed already for the more substantive issue.

Judge Dorgan acceded to that application and imposed a 10-month sentence for the February offence to run concurrently with the 15 months imposed on July 22. The net effect is that it will not increase his prison time.

On that date at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Rory Lally, of Wainsfort, Rochestown, Cork, was sentenced by Judge Sinead Behan to a total of 15 months in prison backdated to March after he pleaded guilty to harassment of the teenager when she was 17 and he was approximately a year older. He also admitted possession of knives.

Detective Garda Pat Connery gave evidence during the sentencing hearing that at the height of the harassment, the teenager sent texts to the victim even as gardaí were physically present in his home warning him to desist.

Det Garda Connery said the injured party started communicating with Lally on social media in April 2023 and in June 2023 they met at a concert in Cork.

However, she felt uncomfortable with him at the concert and soon afterwards told him by phone to stop calling her. She went on to block him on social media. But he ignored this and continued to contact her causing her such concern that she contacted gardaí on a number of occasions.