by Kathryn Hayes
A BUILDING company director was told his house would be blown up if he didn’t pay €40,000 to a man whose property investments had failed.
Pat O’Dea, from Caherconlish, Co Limerick, was with his wife and children when he received a threatening phone call warning him that his house would be burned down, Limerick Circuit Court heard.
He also received a voice message warning that a bomb would be thrown into the door of his house if he didn’t pay up.
The evidence was heard at the sentencing hearing of two men who pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces on December 4, 2010.
Joseph Daly (56) of Salmon Weir, Annacotty, and Shane Lennon (36) of Carrigeen, Annacotty, were each given two years suspended jail sentences.
The court heard Joseph Daly had put deposits totalling €40,000 on four houses in 2000 and 2001 but had difficulty closing the deal. Defence barrister Andrew Sexton said Daly had lost the money rightfully from a “contractual point of view” but he had a sense of grievance.
Evidence was heard that Shane Lennon agreed to help Daly to get the money back and he received a family holiday to Alicante in return.
The court heard that Lennon arranged for an unnamed man whom he met in a pub, to make the threatening phone calls.
In one of the calls, the man warned Mr O’Dea that he knew where he lived and where his children went to school and that his home would be burned down if he didn’t pay the €40,000.
Counsel for the State John O’Sulivan said the injured party was in the car with with his wife and children at the time of the call which he described as a “most alarming” factor in the case.
Mr O’Dea contacted the gardai after he received a voice message where he was warned that a bomb would be thrown into his house.In a victim impact statement, he said was exceedingly traumatised by the calls and feared for the safety of his wife and family.
Judge Carroll Moran said because of the gravity of the case he was imposing a two year jail sentence which he suspended for two years.
