A JURY will resume deliberations tomorrow morning (Wednesday) in the trial of a man accused of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a Garda Detective serving in Limerick City.
Kieran ‘Bunny’ Barry (51), with an address at Galvone Road, Kennedy Park, denies a charge of threatening to kill or seriously harm Detective Garda Dean Landers on May 3, 2019.
This evening, after deliberating for a little over three hours, the jury of eight women and four men delivered verdicts in respect of three other charges which Mr Barry had denied during a three-day trial before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court this week.
The jury found Mr Barry guilty of one count of possessing cannabis on the night in question, and guilty of one count of resisting Detective Landers in executing his lawful duties on the same night.
The jury acquitted Mr Barry of a charge of possessing cannabis for sale or supply, also on the same night.
The foreperson of the jury told the court that it had not yet reached a decision in respect of the threat to kill charge against Mr Barry.
During the trial, Detective Garda Landers gave evidence that he was concerned for himself and his family after Mr Barry allegedly threatened to kill him, his children and his mother.
“I was worried, I’ve been in Limerick 13 years and a Garda for 15 years, but he looked me in the eyes and told me he was going to murder me, and I 100 per cent believed him,” Det Gda Landers said.
Detective Gda Landers and a colleague had responded to a call of a disturbance outside Mr Barry’s home on the night in question. Mr Barry became abusive and challenged Garda Landers to a fight, the court heard.
“He told me he was going to murder me … He said he would bury me somewhere where no-one would find me,” Det Gda Landers alleged.
“He told me, ‘I know where you live, you lanky prick’, he was clenching his fists and he told me he was going to give me a slow death and that he would give my kids an even slower one.”
When more Gardaí arrived at the scene, Mr Barry ran into his home, locked the front door, and fled through the rear of the property, Garda Landers said.
Later on that night, Gardaí observed Mr Barry sitting on a couch in the front living room of his home and they entered the property and arrested him.
Detective Garda Landers disagreed under cross examination by Mr Barry’s barristers, Andrew Sexton SC and Amy Nix BL, instructed by solicitor Sarah Ryan, that Gardaí had “beaten” and “dragged” Mr Barry out of his house while he was being arrested, as Mr Barry claimed.
Following his arrest, Mr Barry told Gardaí in interview that he “had words” with Det Gda Landers and that he had asked Det Gda Landers to fight, but he denied making threats against him and his family.
Mr Barry told Gardaí the allegation was “b****x” and “a trumped up crock of s***e”.
Mr Barry did not show any emotion as the jury’s verdicts were read out by the court registrar this evening.
Judge Colin Daly sent the jury home for the night to resume its deliberations on the threat to kill charge at 10.30am Wednesday morning.
