Man jailed for threatening to 'slit the throat' of consultant at Cork mental health unit

The court heard the defendant was pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity and was keen to put these matters behind him and put his time in prison to good use

The threat was made outside the acute mental health unit of CUH. File picture: Jim Coughlan

Violent threats were made against a consultant at an acute psychiatric unit by a man who turned up outside saying he would slit her throat.

A total sentence of six months was imposed on Wednesday on 30-year-old Craig O’Sullivan of 24 Curraheen Drive, Bishopstown, Cork, for several charges including him threatening: “Tell her, inside, I know where she’d be… She’d be across in Wilton. I’ll drag her down a laneway where there is no camera and dig the head off her and slit her throat.” 

This threat was made — not to the person to whom reference was made — outside the acute mental health unit of CUH.

The same man came to the attention of gardaí when it was reported that he was arguing with someone on his phone and was seen in possession of a knife at a Chinese restaurant. He admitted being drunk and a source of danger to himself or others and being in possession of a knife at Wilton Willow, Cardinal Way, Bishopstown, Cork.

Garda Kate McCarthy said gardaí responded to a call to the restaurant at 6.30pm on August 28. On arrival, staff told Garda McCarthy that they had not been robbed but that a man sitting in the waiting area was in possession of a knife.

When gardaí went to search him the accused said: “I only had the knife for someone else, I wasn’t going to rob the place.” 

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the defendant was pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity and was keen to put these matters behind him and put his time in prison to good use.