Offaly offences result in man with 49 previous convictions getting 18 months in jail

A JUDGE refused to suspend sentences he imposed on a man who had threatened gardai and their families.

Christopher Cooney (48) with an address at Fort House, Dublin Road, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty to criminally damaging a garda car, obstructing a garda and a breach of the peace at Cloncollig, Tullamore on May 14 last.

He also admitted stealing wine valued at €13.99 from Spar, Patrick Street, Tullamore on November 20, 2024 and stealing an electric scooter valued at €200 from Tullamore train station on November 4, 2024.

Mr Cooney appeared before Tullamore District Court on Wednesday, May 21 having previously appeared at Portlaoise District Court where he was remanded in custody.

At Portlaoise District Court Garda Christopher Ward said he responded to a report of a male causing a disturbance in Cloncollig at 6.50pm on May 14.

Garda Ward noted there was a bench warrant in existence for the man.

He said the man was “highly abusive” and began threatening gardaí and members of the public. The man refused to get into the back of a patrol car and continued to threaten Garda Ward and his colleague, “both our safety and our family members”.

“There was a large number of children in the area,” added Garda Ward

Garda Ward said assistance was called and “we eventually were able to convey him to Tullamore Garda Station”.

He said the defendant apologised for his behaviour the following morning. He said the criminal damage related to boot and scuff marks left on the inside of the patrol car.

Tullamore District Court was then told that Mr Cooney had been identified on CCTV as the person responsible for stealing an e-scooter from the railway station on the morning of November 4.

Aisling Maloney, defending solicitor, said he had returned the scooter.

Sergeant Richard Thornton told the court that Mr Cooney had 49 previous convictions and in May last year had been given a suspended sentence for theft.

He was also subject to a suspended sentence for assault and drugs charges in 2023 and the imposition of those sentences would be triggered by the latest convictions.

Ms Maloney said her client was a man who struggled with addictions and the 2024 offences came at a time when his father was very ill and subsequently died. The defendant took tablets and drank alcohol.

The solicitor added that Mr Cooney had thought the scooter he had taken was his own.

Ms Maloney said her client had been in Cloverhill Prison since the previous Thursday where he had been sleeping on the floor because of overcrowding.

As a result of that he had fallen asleep in court several times. He was finding being on remand very stressful and very difficult.

Judge Andrew Cody said Mr Cooney was subject to five years and three months of suspended sentences and had been under the probation service four times previously.

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Ms Maloney said her client, a father of three, had worked well when under probation and he had kept his nose clean since November of last year.

The solicitor suggested that perhaps what he needed was a lengthy period of probation. He apologised the next morning for what he had said to gardai and accepted he had acted very poorly when the guards went to arrest him.

Having previously been on street methadone he was now on methadone properly because he was in prison.

Having been homeless for quite some time in the past, he did not want to lose the position he had in the accommodation in Kilbeggan and would be prepared to sign on in the garda station several times a week.

She said he was a man who had prospects if he was given some guidance.

Judge Cody said Mr Cooney had been given lots and lots of chances. He had up to eight suspended sentences.

“Probation and suspended sentences don't seem to make any difference,” he said.

Dylan Kavanagh, probation officer, said a probation report is due in June in relation to the accused. Mr Cooney told the court himself he was waiting to be assigned a probation officer.

Judge Cody said the defendant was a man who had a serious history. For the criminal damage to the garda car he imposed a sentence of nine months.

A consecutive sentence of nine months was imposed for the theft of the scooter. The other offences were taken into consideration.

He remanded Mr Cooney in custody to appear in court again on June 4 next by video link in relation to the suspended sentences.

“He has run out of road,” said the judge.

When Mr Cooney asked for another chance and said if he was given a suspended sentence he would abide by the rules, Judge Cody did not change his order.