A death threat was allegedly made by a man with a knife to a pregnant woman who barricaded herself into a room at her home in Glenville, it was alleged today as gardaí objected to bail.
Detective Garda Dave Barry arrested Keith O’Leary at a house on Liam Healy Rd, Farranree, Cork, and charged him with making the death threat to the young woman in the early hours of July 3. The defendant, originally from Glenville village in Co Cork, was also charged with production of a knife, damaging the house, and resisting arrest.
Judge Mary Dorgan refused bail and remanded Keith O’Leary in custody until September 18.
Frank Buttimer solicitor argued that bail should be granted — saying that in an earlier charge that was brought against the defendant for making a death threat to a man on the same occasion he was granted bail by the High Court where precisely the same outline had been given of the background allegations.
Det Garda Barry said the objection to bail was being made in the context of new charges being brought today. And Judge Dorgan also said that it was in the context of these fresh counts that she was refusing bail.
After 4am on July 3, gardaí responded to a 999 call from a pregnant woman and her partner that Keith O’Leary was present with a knife threatening to kill them.
It was alleged that he had a large kitchen knife in his hand and was actively stabbing at the bedroom door attempting to force entry to the room and that the man was holding it shut, effectively barricading themselves from the defendant.
Det Garda Barry said a man could be heard screaming in the background of the recorded 999 call.
The detective alleged that Keith O’Leary was extremely aggressive, agitated, and confrontational and he could not be reasoned with. The Armed Support Unit arrived within minutes and gardaí assessed an immediate risk to life and entered the property where they located O’Leary who physically lashed out and was tasered in order for the arrest to be made.
During the incident it was alleged that the defendant could be heard shouting, “I’m going to get you” and “I’m going to slit your throat”.
Called to give evidence in his bail application, the man was asked if he would abide by all conditions of bail as he had done in respect of earlier High Court bail on the original charge. He replied, “Of course I will, 100%.”
The man now faces two counts of threatening to kill, under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, production of a weapon, criminal damage and resisting arrest.